tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70770376154285907652024-03-04T23:59:14.190-08:00Available MaterialsDesigns for use and beautyDavid Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-49150905136470781412020-06-07T19:43:00.003-07:002020-06-07T19:43:36.168-07:00Seaming Delights<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"A man at work, making something which he feels will exist because he is working at it and wills it, is exercising the energies of his mind and soul as well as of his body. Memory and imagination help him as he works" <b>Wm Morris</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Once you've bedded an area of stone in mortar, then you turn your hands to filling the seams. It was well after thanksgiving 2018 when I finally reached the point when I felt that seam-filling of the stone terrace could begin. In fact, given how winter went that year, damp with long bouts of poor weather, and what with competing demands from involving decorating projects on the home front, it would be early spring before I actually got down to mortaring those seams. Reaching that point meant I'd stuck down enough stone in a consistent-enough design to feel comfortable closing it up - a process that makes the finished pavement spring to life by giving it its ultimate look. I was a bit flabbergasted finally to be switching modes, and painfully aware just how far there was to go. On one hand, I'd affirmatively answered the question of whether my aging body could put out enough energy to get the pad in place in embryo. But now I had to reach further down and find the added energy to embark on another phase of the work, one equally, if not more, demanding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The job of sticking down stone had progressed quite steadily back in summer 2018, at least that is until we were hit with early fall rains, starting unexpectedly in late August. It certainly caught me by surprise. Rain is difficult at any stage of stone masonry, and I was moving way too fast to accommodate it at first. I was in 'production mode' at the time, having developed a rhythm in the inviting conditions of summer, so I made the mistake of trying to simply keep going despite the changing conditions. This passed muster in terms of raw output, but then at some point I realized that this working in wet conditions was wicking cement dust from my gloves and shoes, resulting in a misting of the placed stones by cement haze. Masked at first by wet weather, this became obvious as soon as the pad dried out again. I was appalled at my failure to recognize this while it was happening, the more so when it proved hard to clean off. In the end I simply resolved to slow down to accommodate the ambient conditions, ensuring no further inadvertent transfer of cement to stones - good recovery dude, with a gradual return to positive feeling as a result! At that point I continued sticking down stone on the inside edge of the terrace just as I began to work on filling seams at the completed outer edge. But very quickly winter imposed its long interregnum, other projects took over, and very little happened until spring's arrival intimated fresh possibilities.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>October 2018 after Thanksgiving</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Funny that thing about achieving higher productivity as goal one. It's what the paid artisan has to constantly do: find the way to keep the job progressing economically, whatever the prevailing conditions. Amateurs are not good at bulling jobs along, and I am amateur. That said, when looking at a big task like seaming the joints between so many small pieces of stone (perhaps five hundred plus), one may be tempted to try and bull some further productivity in order to feel that the job is actually moving! Hope is a funny thing, and to complete work you have to see tangible change towards an end in order to sustain it. But bulling the job along can be the wrong path for someone aspiring to pleasing results, especially an amateur like me. And it would be so in this case too, as hurrying the job nearly always leads me to make mistakes. (Note to file: things take as long as they take, so let them). I have been asked why I don't just leave the stones unseamed, as the voids this creates make for a pleasing emphasis. My response is simple: it's a trough for organic matter to accumulate and then it grows moss, which quickly renders a terrace unsightly and unuseable.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVtB9p1WBn7UFbQ1dji6r9TuU1HBEebKXCArRreWeWNhLtxXfIsgYsmYn9UHYlFpnnSPXwsqJ-Xox55f_EJ7bura7dc1Pj0vEzScsUhCihVKU-1JN0Ai8zZMWlodXM2huklighDHmB2Ky/s1600/DSC_0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVtB9p1WBn7UFbQ1dji6r9TuU1HBEebKXCArRreWeWNhLtxXfIsgYsmYn9UHYlFpnnSPXwsqJ-Xox55f_EJ7bura7dc1Pj0vEzScsUhCihVKU-1JN0Ai8zZMWlodXM2huklighDHmB2Ky/s640/DSC_0028.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>First attempt at filling joints between stones, October 2018</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">It had been quite a while - perhaps two years - since I'd done any mortaring of joints, meaning that at the outset the skills had to be, if not exactly reacquired, then re-activated. This is just simple recovery at one level, because one has in fact done it all before and thus the way is known. But there are often unexpected curves on the road to the new Jerusalem of pleasing outcomes, and a reliable source of such curves is that accursed aging process afflicting us more with each passing year. Stone paving involves lots of kneeling and extending the body out over the work - in effect, cantilevering yourself. This is more easily accommodated while young and flexible, less so as one is more antique and creaky. Transferring mortar to thin seams requires patience and accuracy, or else the risk is that you spread cement onto the pavers in the process. My process involves transferring small quantities of mortar at a time from a bucket using a Richard knife (see the yellow handled tool below), then easing it into the voids using a tuck pointer (a tool bricklayers use to finish their work) and then tooling it to give it a finished effect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUgcCwwb54pHlCY1SNUTWKw7pvfSB1TDn1DteCsC0JSLMaSE1Awrp2jTwauoUb48gPVbzLMQ5Pk154Jourr8mx5iFN-vGC7R7oxaZhbfuDwZSrFFcl41U6l5VmdD_yFOoU6as6Z93D9Fu/s1600/Early+November+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUgcCwwb54pHlCY1SNUTWKw7pvfSB1TDn1DteCsC0JSLMaSE1Awrp2jTwauoUb48gPVbzLMQ5Pk154Jourr8mx5iFN-vGC7R7oxaZhbfuDwZSrFFcl41U6l5VmdD_yFOoU6as6Z93D9Fu/s320/Early+November+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">So it turned out that my efforts to make time by bulling the job along were in conflict with the higher goal of making neat and tidy work. And also, that I needed a method of correcting my inexactness, which was tending to result in mortar spreading itself onto the pavers themselves, leading to unaesthetic effects.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>I staked a claim (just) to filling seams when the work came to an abrupt end for winter</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The solution here turned out to be two-fold: first, slow the process so it becomes more precise in the doing; second, remediate after placement as needed using a wet, frequently cleaned sponge, so that any spread is removed. Trying to go too fast - privileging output - again got in the way of both of those things. Foremost, it was necessary to relearn how to take my time, work attentively, and remediate as needed. This involves existential adjustment - the work will take the time it takes, your job is to ensure it's done well. Capisce?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Winter seaming is feasible occasionally, ie. weather permitting. In cold weather the mortar doesn't set up quickly, which makes slow work that much more feasible. But one has to be opportunistic in exploiting weather openings, because in winter they tend to disappear. Damp cold is anathema for older bodies. For example, by early February things were starting to feel like being on the verge of spring, so I began thinking about getting back to the terrace. But then presto, winter returned with a vengeance, so it would be at least another month before there was any progress. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">On the plus side, one doesn't use up a lot of cement, as the work of placing and then finishing and dressing the seam is time-consuming for small distances. It's careful, precise practice, with some cleanup extending the time taken to complete a smallish area. A bag of mortar used for seam filling lasts a long time indeed, especially when the work is sporadic. However, a single bag of mortar can develop problems over the course of a long, wet winter, from ambient moisture being absorbed through the walls of the bag. As with this bag, indirect exposure to moisture eventually began turning some of the dry mortar into tight lumps spread through the loose sand/cement mix. I continued removing these larger lumps of material so I could draw on the loose stuff. This worked tolerably well for a time, until one day it no longer did. Nearing the end of the bag at last, I disregarded my inner voice's suggestion of new material, and so did several bouts of seam work that I discovered simply didn't firm up in the usual way. Upon touching them two days after placement, they collapsed into grains of sand. There hadn't been enough cement remaining in the mix to firmly stabilize it! Suddenly I was facing an unexpected problem of my own doing, one with some significant wrinkles: the work would have to be chipped out of all of the unstable seams, a laborious job. I won't deny I was initially demoralized at the prospect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12qwFT0ae_AHLZUoGKpEfNoz3YUmm1fnkCkmQz7DC_HzXOCV4Rxe_y-DI5aTgEC-o2T4eeI8zd1MggpanPL_JrI5BLZX9YjDbmTxaO7evyIpf_PWnAgU6aL84h5ex21XWAR-VtZ1KGr2u/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12qwFT0ae_AHLZUoGKpEfNoz3YUmm1fnkCkmQz7DC_HzXOCV4Rxe_y-DI5aTgEC-o2T4eeI8zd1MggpanPL_JrI5BLZX9YjDbmTxaO7evyIpf_PWnAgU6aL84h5ex21XWAR-VtZ1KGr2u/s640/DSC_0012.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Then I realized I had no choice but to accept the challenge, and so began removing the material with a hammer and chisel. The big hurdle wasn't removing the dusty mortar, rather it was the method of collecting it afterwards, so as to prevent working the resulting cement dust into the surface of the surrounding stones. Brooming it up into a dustpan was also a non-starter, serving only to ensure the spread of residual cement into the surface of the stone. Then I remembered the shop vacuum and immediately saw its potential as a clean way to suck up the dust and chips from the excavated mortar. I have to say it worked like a charm, although the shop vac itself needed rather a lot of work afterwards to clear all the fine dust. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">By June 2019 we are beginning to see more progress. I have accepted the need for patience and care at this point, so things take the time they take. I'm focussed now on making the most of each of what I call 'panels', which is basically the stones in their immediate associations. Of course, the whole thing is continuous, and there are no panels in reality, but as we fill the seams in distinct areas, we are increasing or modifying the association of the collection of shapes. This is, properly viewed, very funky stuff in the prettiness of outcome department, the place where rubber meets road, and also the place where effects are captured and intensified. By this point I'm finding a rhythm that's almost meditative and zen. I do not think thoughts about problems while in this space - consciousness is fully engaged with the materials. My average work bout runs from three to five hours, at which point my old body is done and quite ready for a hot bath and a long scotch (ah the pleasures of retirement!). </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">But this is also the time when the contretemps with inadequate cement occurs, so I get to spin my wheels for a time again, before regaining my rhythm.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Unexpected rains in early July stall progress briefly, but you can see the momentum in the picture above. It's the more graphic for being after a rain, when mortar and the edges of pieces are emphasized more than the dry centres of the stones. I love this kind of day, when I get to go forward but have this emphasis provided by nature that makes everything so graphic. Once we complete the bulk of the terrace, it's time to return to the challenge of the steps, and the continuation of the terrace around them. I begin to lay them out in advance, to have an idea where the terrace will run up to them. As usual, I get too drawn into one thing without remembering how much each thing depends on the other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> However these steps finally look, terrace has to be built around them, and appear to continue under them. Soon it will be time to take the existing wooden steps away, so we can actually see what the proposed step layout looks like. I am evolving the first step here, around some facing stones and a large central stone. It's complicated because the ensemble has to 'turn', in order not to land mechanically on the terrace. Nothing would be worse here than a crudely rendered geometry! As you can see, I've returned to my process of mortaring a plinth in place to lessen the depth of mortar I use to fix the stones. This is a necessity born of variable width paving material, a sign of the randomness of my available materials.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I'm trying to evolve this ensemble organically, but I'm actually missing the boat. My front pieces, though happily associated, are laid out as if they can stand alone on top of the terrace, with the step fitted neatly in behind them. This turns out to be a fallacy - the step (one of two up to the wooden landing) - needs to rise to a height greater than the height of the front stones. To accommodate this, there would need to be stone risers under the front step in order to level the front stones up. This, it strikes me suddenly, would be ugly. I try a few fits on in order to assess the problem, and it turns out to be real. There's no way I can see to put something under these pieces that doesn't destroy their feeling of being 'naturally' placed. Reluctantly, I begin to accept that my design has to change. This is the reality of stone masonry - concepts get lost in translation, and we have to invent something entirely new.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Despite a growing awareness that my step design must change, I continue to pick away at the terrace surrounding it. Slow progress, but fairly sure. I am enjoying this piece of it without knowing where the overall design is going. I do know that my steps need to be just shy of eight inches in height though, which will govern the height of the fronting piece. I begin searching my rock pile for possibilities.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMnOzE-eo4232hJoXF3q6pfKTBUqR-YbhBvLvMidylHAquxq3u8ZIU_Htv_WcGk3KlRTp4TuK-3Dq1vEON46r6qPnwV4VZalb2EyxrqNUoFsliksjEOMYqwW7uuwJ7XzfGTSpHWxUBMFq/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMnOzE-eo4232hJoXF3q6pfKTBUqR-YbhBvLvMidylHAquxq3u8ZIU_Htv_WcGk3KlRTp4TuK-3Dq1vEON46r6qPnwV4VZalb2EyxrqNUoFsliksjEOMYqwW7uuwJ7XzfGTSpHWxUBMFq/s640/DSC_0008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">But despite the uncertainties, this remains big fun. I love the process of lining the seams, basically tooling them with narrow tuck pointers, to create an intentional effect. This is an involving task but one I actually look forward to. I care not a whit that other people treat the seams as background to the stones, minimally softening them, sometimes leaving them rather brutally (to my eye) unkempt. I am simply doing my own thing, trying to find the way to combine beauty with utility.</span><br />
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David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-22817389575605340292018-08-07T19:46:00.000-07:002020-06-07T18:44:46.888-07:00Manufacturing pavements<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">"a manufacturer means a person who makes with his hands"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">William Morris</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPhibsxtwyzD3YwK9Ft66rDogkxYDAXjkwHhuJEfAk0n3vkTm4LsJvlp3K86gNHj9M9ot8XvY2EmpCg8lYtkWQ857vIX3mHyKBC7h7Mqqe2MK9xDnZFqNLX7lp2PDzwJ8pXFLHTUypsuv/s1600/DSC_0005+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPhibsxtwyzD3YwK9Ft66rDogkxYDAXjkwHhuJEfAk0n3vkTm4LsJvlp3K86gNHj9M9ot8XvY2EmpCg8lYtkWQ857vIX3mHyKBC7h7Mqqe2MK9xDnZFqNLX7lp2PDzwJ8pXFLHTUypsuv/s640/DSC_0005+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Design is an abstraction, while pavement is a physical reality; design hints at outcome</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Design is merely a sketch in stone, an intimation of what might be. After conception and refinement, a point arrives when the design is pretty much worked out and the project moves into implementation, where it becomes a real and persisting entity in the world. There's a gulf between these two aspects of stone creation, despite both being achieved only by much kneeling. Yet while action passes to manufacturing as activity, its content is intimately linked to design. For the sketch to become reality, it must pass through the process of manufacture: a time when tools, materials, and loads of handwork come together, deployed systematically over long periods of time in order to bring the ideas embodied in the design phase to life. However long the design process continues (and as the sequence of Finding Form posts indicates, it was long given my periodic availability to the work), the manufacturing phase is much longer in hours worked and energy expended - so there is inevitably a lot more skin in the game. This is where rubber meets road - admittedly an exciting point to reach, but portending much physical effort, so a body had better be ready for what's coming down the pike. On the up side, I am finally retired from full-time work, so in theory I finally have the time to be more disciplined about the project; on the downside, I have an aging body that's been sitting for years at a desk, and this direction is taxing work. I was uncertain when starting up the manufacturing piece whether I still had the jam to get it done. I am still finding my way with that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'd already begun manufacturing this paved terrace when I last posted, discovering belatedly just how much work was needed to extend portions of the concrete pad to support my wandering edges. Part of my purpose is to replace a needlessly blunt geometry with something that speaks more directly to the imagination. In the layout phase, I could simply overlay the existing edge to see how a wandering line (off-geometry) might be gained. But in actually making the paving on the cement pad, the base under the wandering edge required extending - meaning adding some dimension via supplementary process. This necessitated collecting small chunks of stone, cleaning them up, and having them ready to hand for the process, and engaging this prior to sticking down the edge stones. I had to relearn how to segment my work, which is a good lesson to acquire. I had to engage in preparatory work before the visible edges could be placed. I struggled with this added complexity at first (OMG, too many things all at once for far too long), as I was having to recover rusty skills buried in past projects dating back a couple of years at least. I more wanted to be palpably progressing towards finished outcome, and injecting another three hours into the terrace didn't actually seem to produce much outcome, at first. The labour felt a bit, well, sisyphean (pushing the rock uphill, only to have it roll back again). At this point I seriously wondered if physically I'd actually be able to complete this - had a I bitten off more than I could chew, had I waited too long to tackle physical work? I still haven't established that I can actually get it done (check with me in October), but I'm able to report real progress, and say that I'm encouraged by how I'm now working - aches and pains aside.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOT54mmnLhbmmUOA9QPPTFjD-aFzFTojT9mP33HJ0JErlsYQ-bdyhVZPn4Z3tlN_aJ2Z5tmfJRVgn6sW8q5rkTcvwb79W4U2DZnVifFTmC45NoHEgTGgi_fLFxgEyEEDNAoMQ65okKqOF/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOT54mmnLhbmmUOA9QPPTFjD-aFzFTojT9mP33HJ0JErlsYQ-bdyhVZPn4Z3tlN_aJ2Z5tmfJRVgn6sW8q5rkTcvwb79W4U2DZnVifFTmC45NoHEgTGgi_fLFxgEyEEDNAoMQ65okKqOF/s640/DSC_0002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Despite the time needed to stick them down, I love the feeling of permanence in the result</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The photo above is where things had gotten to several weeks back. Perhaps ten bouts of three-to-four hours each had gone into it. The yield may look small for this investment of time, but we are definitely picking up speed at this point. And this despite the fact that it's now high summer, and you can't be doing this mortaring in full sun. So I've been adjusting how I approach the work, to take better account of ambient conditions and of my personal tolerance for bending and stretching. For one thing, I now rise early and get my main bout in before the sun reaches over the building and strikes the terrace (about ten thirty or eleven o'clock). I usually try for a second go later in the day, but this (it turns out) is a less-committed chunk of time, and I often faff about, tiddling layouts and getting things set up for the main event next morning. Another thing I'm doing in order to adjust to the strain on my shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands, is distributing more of the bull work to the left side of my body. The right side not only does all the fine motor work - the executive skills, including transferring, placing and snugging in the mortar with various tools - but also tends to do much of the lifting. So I've consciously taken to doing more of the lifting with my left side, ditto the mixing of mortar, all which it is equally capable of.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qrTzS8IKJGf6c_t-U4lhGlK3BPqWtgjQ9WeExydShVELjxMMGn7_IIIdWjIiZ0u_uJ-OvI7SMH2HBuVGqs1EEMxG6uH3QBixYNpZxiHRnqr3o4Z3QyQLsO5DdascvI_HQmYAQMX7Kgsv/s1600/DSC_0019+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qrTzS8IKJGf6c_t-U4lhGlK3BPqWtgjQ9WeExydShVELjxMMGn7_IIIdWjIiZ0u_uJ-OvI7SMH2HBuVGqs1EEMxG6uH3QBixYNpZxiHRnqr3o4Z3QyQLsO5DdascvI_HQmYAQMX7Kgsv/s640/DSC_0019+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Freshly laid plinth, adjacent to (upper right) previously laid plinth at a different depth</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Method develops slowly, based on trial and error. Mine has to take account of the mix of paving stones (some thick, some unfortunately thin - alas, those were the materials available), which sets a height for the overall terrace, and in turn sets the depth of mortar under the thinner stones. I've gradually adopted a two-phase method that makes most sense, where a plinth is set for thinner stones one day, and then they are cemented on a fresh bed of mortar set on the still-drying plinth the next day. This avoids a situation where there is too great a depth of loose mortar, causing stones to flag at one end or side while the mortar sets up. Above, a new section of plinth set down next to a section (upper right, light grey) done the previous day, now ready for its stone. These are loosely shaped to correspond to the shape of the stones they will hold.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLivrBMniZptCjbD6Meu75vMIBA46zLRzQGpML2rFLmQgGziREnYgMUCncCyrqa42hqSzWXs8eFQ6SSRR86U6kzocctSDSfLRepEB0TIbc-W7Er7QphZlGH3kwLoCCxh68gnV9k_Wx9dU/s1600/DSC_0028+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLivrBMniZptCjbD6Meu75vMIBA46zLRzQGpML2rFLmQgGziREnYgMUCncCyrqa42hqSzWXs8eFQ6SSRR86U6kzocctSDSfLRepEB0TIbc-W7Er7QphZlGH3kwLoCCxh68gnV9k_Wx9dU/s640/DSC_0028+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>One day you make plinths, the next you fill in the voids - deeper stones first</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWWC8V57z12HEQYRQrjK24xjAiFWyo3Frm1Y-EXCCejLw-vLEaUpTMa3YEERWMfaraCpA3QOE0AAadayXsGDT4wjZkgBOx-dTcdEmCf5_eqTmoB1DXeY1yY4nUgVZnAxY26mhHeOBaumr/s1600/DSC_0035+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWWC8V57z12HEQYRQrjK24xjAiFWyo3Frm1Y-EXCCejLw-vLEaUpTMa3YEERWMfaraCpA3QOE0AAadayXsGDT4wjZkgBOx-dTcdEmCf5_eqTmoB1DXeY1yY4nUgVZnAxY26mhHeOBaumr/s640/DSC_0035+%25282%2529.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Panels of stone, each contiguous with the next grouping</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As I gradually refine my approach (working across the width to a loosely defined depth) and get better at avoiding self-made snafus, I am trying to ratchet up my output so more is completed per bout. I refer to this as developing momentum around the job - getting more practiced at it, more deft and consistent, and trying to inhabit the space sometimes known as 'flow'. Flow is an intriguing state of mind that is enjoyed by artists especially, characterized by an absence of conscious mental operation and a oneness with the medium itself, such that the operative is absorbed entirely in the work being done (being 'in the materials'). I can report positive results from attaining this space - results that tend to build on one another, impacting the rate of progress. I am definitely and decidedly fully inside this job now. My productivity is certainly rising, without a major negative impact on quality of output. My body is adjusting to being called into service on a daily basis (with Ibuprofen and Scotch for backup). And I am vested in attaining the project, with a disciplined approach, regular increments every week, and the patience to see this idea through a long, slow schedule of construction. I have in fact lost all impatience at this point (how zen is that!). I am uncertain just how long it will take to complete, but I will be very pleased if we are moving to closure come Thanksgiving (we are now a week into the month of August!). Paving is decidedly a long road and not for those who want instant results (try concrete, use your phone camera), but the result is, to my eye at least, quality - which adds so much presence to a landscape in the vicinity of a house. The terrace is all about human use of the immediate out of doors - but it is also seen through a number of windows, so is view-framing from many angles. I am excited by this process!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HqSWyZr-WsgqjMm67qbhEMeTqhmAXJG2PdDL29OO_5OEZCS5FZh7ehyphenhypheno7m1RFhn6IK47k1rSjBdIAfFfit-8e-KUBb3XULYqjRAmYd6NqqVL7SRnLJj2Wf6n8kycFK9Wjl3rtmzYJ84n/s1600/DSC_0001+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HqSWyZr-WsgqjMm67qbhEMeTqhmAXJG2PdDL29OO_5OEZCS5FZh7ehyphenhypheno7m1RFhn6IK47k1rSjBdIAfFfit-8e-KUBb3XULYqjRAmYd6NqqVL7SRnLJj2Wf6n8kycFK9Wjl3rtmzYJ84n/s640/DSC_0001+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Placing stone on settled plinths, making new plinths for next time around</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The wet area represents about fifteen hours of concentrated effort (three working days)</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<br />David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-86009485956543552842018-07-10T23:00:00.002-07:002018-07-11T18:39:55.685-07:00Finding Form Encore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3XIcta-B-pAbsJFEW8CcUBImU_mqArZtVxfVySTZVM4_pvdqzrJhre7FDtuwMVWCB83xQ-ud72jDGXxoNKEvlynmDQo8ZFcpt7YMwyLH-AEaBLYuHBzPh8QtuUid_qPk_sU4S06tN-xV/s1600/DSC_0002+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3XIcta-B-pAbsJFEW8CcUBImU_mqArZtVxfVySTZVM4_pvdqzrJhre7FDtuwMVWCB83xQ-ud72jDGXxoNKEvlynmDQo8ZFcpt7YMwyLH-AEaBLYuHBzPh8QtuUid_qPk_sU4S06tN-xV/s640/DSC_0002+%25285%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">F<span style="font-size: large;">all brought the possibility of advancing stone layouts towards finished form. Desk work at my day job interfered with pursuing completion of layout, but I continued refining the design, tweaking it, tightening it, and getting it ready for mortaring, sporadically through winter and on into spring. Tediously slow but surprisingly fulfilling work. Mid-may saw me finally retire from paid work and I quickly begin expanding the time available for finishing layout and starting the process of sticking the stone arrangements in place. It took forever to get to mortar, perhaps because I'm hard to please. But I had many a day out on those rocks from mid-May until late June, chipping bits off stones and tightening layouts, where the sheer fact of being there and working the stone was sufficient for satisfaction. Progress is slow at best in this idiom, patience more necessity than virtue. With patience, and time of day and quality of light, come transporting views of an evolving scene, especially for a creator of form.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnlAGZ3teEIqBS0iVCRVq9JzlNkEJ3Wq9WKVo_1qJTuoHXjFMx-hZQFlVwfBoUgTwHP4MZtTJdCFkk3r2CkelAmvHXUW5wF9AhQphhEyeYdzK6lTu3RKpcOHAfusjvIKT8zMWO7H5u16v/s1600/DSC_0012+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnlAGZ3teEIqBS0iVCRVq9JzlNkEJ3Wq9WKVo_1qJTuoHXjFMx-hZQFlVwfBoUgTwHP4MZtTJdCFkk3r2CkelAmvHXUW5wF9AhQphhEyeYdzK6lTu3RKpcOHAfusjvIKT8zMWO7H5u16v/s640/DSC_0012+%25281%2529.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">There were a lot of objectives embedded in this terrace layout. For cosmic reasons, I wanted the stones' placement to reflect the flow of natural energies across the terrace: wind, water, waves and sunlight all pour out of the south towards the north, meaning the stone would run crosswise to the length of the pad. This aligned with another layer of choice, just as zen, which was to run the stone counter to the length of the pad in order to slow the eye and expand the perceived extent of the realm. My view is that you want to hold the attention of the viewer, and that that is best done by checking the flow forward. So energy flows in nature aligned with energy flows in layout equaling, in my cosmology at least, increased synergy and harmony of feeling in the outcome. I also wanted there to be further hints of our oceanic environment, as in distant references to schools of fish flowing through the space.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_7oiLhwZIbTOeYL5tU56WSFT9zvdjwmtC7v3o1_fWxDpbb1K3nx_ckh1FPNlGLqYDeDVoHdjODBqYTuZCqd-eB1EImaCdCX6r589Kf6YRV98zUUYEa6k_WrcTDUqVLgcTHJfnXwYe7HV/s1600/DSC_0019+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_7oiLhwZIbTOeYL5tU56WSFT9zvdjwmtC7v3o1_fWxDpbb1K3nx_ckh1FPNlGLqYDeDVoHdjODBqYTuZCqd-eB1EImaCdCX6r589Kf6YRV98zUUYEa6k_WrcTDUqVLgcTHJfnXwYe7HV/s640/DSC_0019+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Flies in the ointment here: nice that you got that layout snugged up, but now there's the underlying problem that the concrete pad with stones sitting on it for months on end has concentrated organic matter, including moss, through the various effusions of fall, winter and spring. So what? So, before you can begin sticking the stones in place, you have to clean what's under them in order to achieve a better bond. Tedious, yes indeed; necessary, ditto; patience required, beyond measure but indispensable. See below:</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QvG682hTzoitzCQ2pqceTlGEsUaNjiq_FugnHgLaIWrMZ96Rve2MLwDTtMHvN2zLTSA9RK0ATA1SNfq8SHUwFRkwnPsS24-RvOvY2xT_Nj5Qu3fKok6i22cMEW7-fH9RLPLjMfjcNesv/s1600/DSC_0018+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QvG682hTzoitzCQ2pqceTlGEsUaNjiq_FugnHgLaIWrMZ96Rve2MLwDTtMHvN2zLTSA9RK0ATA1SNfq8SHUwFRkwnPsS24-RvOvY2xT_Nj5Qu3fKok6i22cMEW7-fH9RLPLjMfjcNesv/s640/DSC_0018+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">It will also require scrubbing down with a stiff brush and a hose, a supplementary step and then a drying-out afterwards. But this is the path to a happy, lasting outcome, and therefor must be done. And it's not a process to be hurried. Further complication emerges once the step into mortaring is taken: edges suddenly need shoring up, since my making them wander overtop of the rigid geometry of the pad, to take some steam out of the declaration of straight lines, means expanding the pad to support the new edge.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJXazKq-xsIZRQbO4yfpV6ZMb9Hvf2_i3nUtXqkunhFM9iCLGaBXg-8yjv7ssSdIYu3qd7WO8i8Gv3YlSR7IlcMXA7R_9eF9JTCNKFeunThyphenhyphenBb0P37sDcSebt9peNDMhfXj-Q86IOJJ8A/s1600/DSC_0018+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJXazKq-xsIZRQbO4yfpV6ZMb9Hvf2_i3nUtXqkunhFM9iCLGaBXg-8yjv7ssSdIYu3qd7WO8i8Gv3YlSR7IlcMXA7R_9eF9JTCNKFeunThyphenhyphenBb0P37sDcSebt9peNDMhfXj-Q86IOJJ8A/s640/DSC_0018+%25282%2529.JPG" width="424" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wandering edges requiring a base weren't the only problem, however. I was rusty, plain and simple, not having mortared for well over a year. My knees, back, shoulders and arms were a year older, with significant consequences. As to technique,paths have their own unique requirements: batches of mortar that are manageable in size but sufficient to complete a segment; techniques for placing and pinning stones to fill in large voids and to ensure that stones set on over-wet mortar don't slump (I set it a bit loose in summer heat). As it happens, it takes a while to recover a sense of how all that's best done, and how to recognize an emergent problem and nip it in the bud. There was more of a struggle with self for the patience to accept the unforeseen and address it. But it does come back, and fairly quickly. All the while, the rough layout encourages one to pass it through the process so that paved scenes can begin to emerge. It's a bit like giving birth when they finally do. I offer some below.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXuxlR7QLzSeQ2Vi03czpcvGoZuFtssZJaoN3Wv-g4pheURyuRaID3mJfgxkz9E_IKYcUY3h-kn-P7wNRbXZIAYDMUyAHkOja1n_GCCoHWEtguxLEQajx75B2ihyphenhyphenyJE1xiJHcWjgEQzVv/s1600/DSC_0007+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXuxlR7QLzSeQ2Vi03czpcvGoZuFtssZJaoN3Wv-g4pheURyuRaID3mJfgxkz9E_IKYcUY3h-kn-P7wNRbXZIAYDMUyAHkOja1n_GCCoHWEtguxLEQajx75B2ihyphenhyphenyJE1xiJHcWjgEQzVv/s640/DSC_0007+%25284%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipm5UpyC2iqBSjBtFsYw0bne467ZL5LFG2wyK5FgUq4-M4xXi4hnNlXIibn3Fgcjt2n9oZizw-D6cDmtKyrpruUaFLdBQ9jZIn2SaKHkLYyOb_jpFphStViObydG_AbMTw0CcBdqQryDN4/s1600/DSC_0008+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipm5UpyC2iqBSjBtFsYw0bne467ZL5LFG2wyK5FgUq4-M4xXi4hnNlXIibn3Fgcjt2n9oZizw-D6cDmtKyrpruUaFLdBQ9jZIn2SaKHkLYyOb_jpFphStViObydG_AbMTw0CcBdqQryDN4/s640/DSC_0008+%25283%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">As I stick these stones down into what I hope is a long-lasting relationship with their neighbours, I often think of what I'm doing as 'working on panels'. Despite the terrace being continuous, each set of stones has an intimate relationship with those next to it, and some resolve into distinct patterns despite their integration with everything else. I enjoy this aspect, emphasizing it when I'm in the trimming and tweaking layout phase. I try to keep whatever I've found my way to - a sort of dynamic, even cosmic balance, for lack of a better term - through the mortaring phase. This is a moving target, into whose trajectory loads of factors, some exogamous, enter. But I still like the idea of completing panels as units and watching the whole grow slowly in extent. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLSYMkClHt1q_wgI3QRAVO1r7oYQR4wALttZd34XsMo4vIWWPs85JfnALSjaaPVFk23pJY1MHFjltVD8FpLdIHZoq7nN2TTzG8m2pjmVSA84jnimeMWtZ5LZJYhFgYONzErA_G7c_T95l/s1600/DSC_0002+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLSYMkClHt1q_wgI3QRAVO1r7oYQR4wALttZd34XsMo4vIWWPs85JfnALSjaaPVFk23pJY1MHFjltVD8FpLdIHZoq7nN2TTzG8m2pjmVSA84jnimeMWtZ5LZJYhFgYONzErA_G7c_T95l/s640/DSC_0002+%25284%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">You can see the base extension I'm doing in the photo above - there's a glimpse of some brutal modernist geometry just visible at the far left, the rest is a bump-out intended to secure the full curving alignment of this stone. It works pretty well, just entailing a supplementary set of operations before you can get to the main event. Patience, patience, patience.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdLsXQPX6hFMIUXfK2eHl0wAqq-iQExHuJgBOWHcBmSy1qer2x5X0XJYXHcR01zXeo0xO54TE1Xe5ObFBsQMsWYOvsGwpXUuh5YQKM5DkNhJFKmBoGUm83En8AoBKGhkm2xViwGGztZst/s1600/DSC_0015+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdLsXQPX6hFMIUXfK2eHl0wAqq-iQExHuJgBOWHcBmSy1qer2x5X0XJYXHcR01zXeo0xO54TE1Xe5ObFBsQMsWYOvsGwpXUuh5YQKM5DkNhJFKmBoGUm83En8AoBKGhkm2xViwGGztZst/s640/DSC_0015+%25283%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then, you mortar it into place along with its companion stones, and you glimpse form emerging. Paving occurs as an event in time, so exciting if you are the one making it happen. For others, bystanders and onlookers, not so much. But then, people generally are tuned out and will simply not see change occurring at this level. The beauty is, a slow process leads to profound change, and even the insensitive experience it at some point. If it works out, it will command people's attention while feeling that it fits in entirely.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-58298994223854618102018-02-03T09:56:00.000-08:002018-02-25T10:24:51.387-08:00Romancing The Stones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Repaving paradise</b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68Ne8pyhmDICnrIyXXEEnqQwwjl7QCdhRZ1FH1uA-62COCe7mP6LYZ24IbVTIYAqPT2nO3bM3-U9ZnyWsLVtmi9VO_pa-T1ZIbFSdl3v8idFRLLMUJEcLSWztIS2YGZe5ppuH_NgfIK5X/s1600/landscape+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68Ne8pyhmDICnrIyXXEEnqQwwjl7QCdhRZ1FH1uA-62COCe7mP6LYZ24IbVTIYAqPT2nO3bM3-U9ZnyWsLVtmi9VO_pa-T1ZIbFSdl3v8idFRLLMUJEcLSWztIS2YGZe5ppuH_NgfIK5X/s640/landscape+024.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In January 2015, on a wet and slightly misty winter's day</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdIv1icw2ylDQDUep0kzN38ncdl9cmiSV8IyOui9HSYAcsKZszZXHc0PCDajU-jc85KZf9kUZu10i4mmeZsAgtsfwqQyzkLGhKGy51j91LcAXlRHilueqg_XQjPsN5W9uwwvEKw82f_nb/s1600/lineup+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdIv1icw2ylDQDUep0kzN38ncdl9cmiSV8IyOui9HSYAcsKZszZXHc0PCDajU-jc85KZf9kUZu10i4mmeZsAgtsfwqQyzkLGhKGy51j91LcAXlRHilueqg_XQjPsN5W9uwwvEKw82f_nb/s640/lineup+021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Original asphalt walkway in summer 1988, serviceable enough then for continued use</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The job was unavoidable in the end, though I succeeded in putting off the day of reckoning for a long while. Partly my delaying came down to simply not knowing how to go about replacing the old walkway pictured above: asphalt to stone was a certainty in my mind, but which stone, from where, and how placed? Ultimately though that old front path had to go, its thin asphalt veneer wearing through in spots after many decades of use and weathering. And in fact it had been rather hastily made, probably at the time the original holding was subdivided, and without much attention to details. The puzzle was how to effect a change for the better, especially as the path would have to remain in continuous use for access to the front door. There was no option to switch to using the back door while the front walk was being replaced, so it would have to be done without taking it out of use. This dilemma stumped me for a long time. Then one day, after much canvassing of possibilities, I resolved to get started without having all the answers in hand.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> That day only came about because by then I had found what I felt would be suitable stone and assembled enough of it to be certain of remaking the entire path as a unified whole. Rendering the new path as a unity mattered because of the arts-and-crafts thinking governing design of the house, which had been contrived in intimate relation to its unique landscape setting. So it was essential that a new path integrate seamlessly with the existing ensemble of house and landscape, now over a century old. The path's overall alignment wasn't in question, only the materials and dimensions of the replacement surface and the process for getting it done. As it happened, an opportunity to collect sandstone in random chunks came along. These pieces were flat enough for paving and of fairly uniform thickness, foraged and stockpiled over several years at a family place on a nearby Gulf Island. The stone was pulled together from small openings (driveway cuts, building pads, etc) in the local landscape, supplemented by some quarry leftovers, collected over a couple of years. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bX8HyIWaLtHA2lxTShmvJnuvSAlE7x_Jb3JPXR_sMLtMKdzlgTqnCc3GhR5teWn0vMilu7HUFAwUW6kEyVFbXPWXF-0Ip8QhEAz36W-4G_HbU8z9B86xh7RQvl7aKbVLUYtp7gJjRO4T/s1600/October+09+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bX8HyIWaLtHA2lxTShmvJnuvSAlE7x_Jb3JPXR_sMLtMKdzlgTqnCc3GhR5teWn0vMilu7HUFAwUW6kEyVFbXPWXF-0Ip8QhEAz36W-4G_HbU8z9B86xh7RQvl7aKbVLUYtp7gJjRO4T/s640/October+09+026.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Sampling of newly gathered material, just washed: irregular shapes, subtle colour variation</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhP6paV9_Ez_UYwVWKlgeJCirO404_dSUIE32SQ5ACsVJkIIl3GfxzIXqG897BEQs6HWbJtEyhwWuUuPE_MS_ZtCRTrfOwaT3R20BWHbVao6-WbDvJTLo4d5YbwnzYL5ol3HORyVMv_cX/s1600/October+09+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhP6paV9_Ez_UYwVWKlgeJCirO404_dSUIE32SQ5ACsVJkIIl3GfxzIXqG897BEQs6HWbJtEyhwWuUuPE_MS_ZtCRTrfOwaT3R20BWHbVao6-WbDvJTLo4d5YbwnzYL5ol3HORyVMv_cX/s640/October+09+007.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Glistening with potential after washing, end of day, October 2009</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When I finally had enough stone to be sure of completing the job, the only thing standing between me and tackling it full on was the fact I'd never built anything similar. I had built or repaired a number of stone steps that formed part of the pathway, and had made a circular stone patio (inset below) from a melange of paving materials. But here, by virtue of this being the entry pathway, a lot more was on the line. So, lacking a clear sense of </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1ftm6Oi76aaezj1caLy_WuQUFMWd8XWn8QRzL0u64qoqAa2lkMZoaqZwxyNdUJUGhyphenhyphenltGjRuDbBSdTPwtfvpjEkZsNLhvcZmeKw8QsaNzjA0LLVw0LSxE1Kke8noD9olO86UUfWQBu5r/s1600/early+April+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1ftm6Oi76aaezj1caLy_WuQUFMWd8XWn8QRzL0u64qoqAa2lkMZoaqZwxyNdUJUGhyphenhyphenltGjRuDbBSdTPwtfvpjEkZsNLhvcZmeKw8QsaNzjA0LLVw0LSxE1Kke8noD9olO86UUfWQBu5r/s320/early+April+046.jpg" width="320" /></a> how to set these irregular chunks of stone together to good effect, I felt I needed to gain some experience before tackling the big job. The fact was, this was the chance to create something that improved on the defects of the current paving - not least its baldly utilitarian quality. Asphalt is not, to my eye, a nice paving choice for an entry path, especially not one integral to a gardened environment. Asphalt does not contribute to a sense of place, nor offer a distinctive impression under foot. In its current state, the path enabled movement acceptably, just. As this path follows a rather elaborate alignment, taking visitors on a leisurely stroll past the building's facade before finally switching back towards the front door, I felt it merited loftier treatment. So the quality of the replacement paving mattered architecturally, to both landscape and dwelling, and to me personally, as I was determined to add some beauty to the utility of the existing alignment. I wanted the path to offer anyone transiting the space a sense of entry as memorable as the dwelling place itself. These aspirations set the bar fairly high, looking back on it now. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaBC0poMjnJZs1Ck99yh3fKXBrRyNYNcEwdT4Hfd7g7VrycGw1k9uK5ItJCMkAFilxGs8KmzZhTzO5thfK8Zjsg4xy5Nusw8hKg1IS8H7hTPSnnkskHk3yF3V0FuKjAY6RC7Iza3qvfm0/s1600/October+09+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaBC0poMjnJZs1Ck99yh3fKXBrRyNYNcEwdT4Hfd7g7VrycGw1k9uK5ItJCMkAFilxGs8KmzZhTzO5thfK8Zjsg4xy5Nusw8hKg1IS8H7hTPSnnkskHk3yF3V0FuKjAY6RC7Iza3qvfm0/s640/October+09+076.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pulling suitable smaller chunks from shot rock in a quarry, most of which isn't suited to paving</span></span></b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Once collected, quarry muck needs to be washed off; here I'm capably assisted by my son Bryn</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At this point I lacked confidence that I could actually work out a full design for the path in an evolving sequence on the land. Really, I had nothing to go by, no rules of thumb to guide layout and design, only my own determination not to screw it up. I'd learned a bit about setting flat stone from making the stone patio, but nothing about laying sandstone. So, having space available at the site where the stone was cached, I decided to practice by laying out a sample run of path, and set about doing this using a lightly graveled area as a makeshift base. This process allowed me to play around with placement with nothing riding on the outcome, and so to learn by doing and redoing. 'Play' was the operative term. I enjoyed getting to know the stone and I liked the results of this effort, and in fact looking back on it I still like the feel of that embryonic pathway and rather regret it was never built. Indeed I liked it enough that at the time I even toyed with transferring sections of it back to town, thinking I might be able to adapt what worked in one place to another locale. An attempt at doing this showed that literal transfer would be more difficult than imagined, and of course revealed that the segments weren't precisely sized for the width of the new path anyway. But I sure did enjoy the process of making a trial path and, as the following pictures show, I gleaned enough about putting fractured pieces of stone together to see how to achieve a fit: <i>edges echoing adjacent edges as much as possible, ultimately generating a feeling of integration into a new whole</i>. You can gauge my initial progress by the next few shots.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8TZ7clvIi2cVPrzhq9-ZHU1WWgCN-xXWMot1of-A0BOfoFSUWIt6fK9SRqi7L1quEZqnR9oRfYLtEfbgZ4dd-4V3y53pbUGU-E5LnEsjHcuRAH1uttFd8Lw5u8lCvA1TiTXzGW3srQz-/s1600/October+09+213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8TZ7clvIi2cVPrzhq9-ZHU1WWgCN-xXWMot1of-A0BOfoFSUWIt6fK9SRqi7L1quEZqnR9oRfYLtEfbgZ4dd-4V3y53pbUGU-E5LnEsjHcuRAH1uttFd8Lw5u8lCvA1TiTXzGW3srQz-/s640/October+09+213.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Figuring out how to place stones so they feel comfortable set alongside each other</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This experience went on over a number of weekends spaced out over some months. I continued experimenting, so began leveling up the stones with sand infill in order to make them appear more flush, a step that served to bring the overall look into sharper focus. This leveling process also magnified any gaps needing attention before finalizing a layout for cementing - gaps that weren't as apparent in rough layout. This in turn clarified to me that a distinct step towards tighter alignment would always be needed. I worked at refining my layouts for some time, distilling some insights as this process continued. I also began doing some research on approaches to path making that helped me sort things out. One perception this gave rise to was the value of using somewhat larger and chunkier pieces for the outer edges, a practice that gives a path heft and solidity. Looking at pictures of Japanese garden paths revealed patterns of using larger edge pieces to create the frame for a visually engaging flow of smaller pieces of stone, a relationship that simply felt right to my eye. This approach also led me to begin using small geometric chunks (triangles, squares, oblongs, etc) to infill residual voids and tighten up my layouts before setting. In doing this it became clear that laying the stones across the direction of the path (ie horizontally) slows the path's feeling of forward motion, resulting in a more relaxed composition. The converse is also true, and for my purposes was to be avoided (setting stones in the direction of the path speeds up the sense of forward movement, hurrying the eye along). More romancing of this experiment follows pictorially.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHy5Elb5Tl-Niz-iWqFFFqAlnNZDiGjjBcDA5kmTnazU275M3UzPpO9EBCPgA0nDma7Ff0urQFnQSdQ_8Z7m3Qr8YubD25jFwDK1l494Gl9B_3KVZkZTdDM1HjWm4pHg4qwBSB4SY0Q4tH/s1600/Spring+garden%252C+fireplace%252C+pavers+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHy5Elb5Tl-Niz-iWqFFFqAlnNZDiGjjBcDA5kmTnazU275M3UzPpO9EBCPgA0nDma7Ff0urQFnQSdQ_8Z7m3Qr8YubD25jFwDK1l494Gl9B_3KVZkZTdDM1HjWm4pHg4qwBSB4SY0Q4tH/s640/Spring+garden%252C+fireplace%252C+pavers+027.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>If you lay the pieces crosswise to the path's direction, the feeling of forward movement slows</b></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAkSQmRvdkh88JblzarUDsYibOX7n1p0hk5jyRLyi4O5PEyuoJOTxxcPLQQ9c3TZdugODQjS0wbzCd6TUd4rj2cHaYsIrScX87hum0jeHcNc48dMpqil_KisB49KfbPANqauiadu0GrrG/s1600/Spring+garden%252C+fireplace%252C+pavers+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAkSQmRvdkh88JblzarUDsYibOX7n1p0hk5jyRLyi4O5PEyuoJOTxxcPLQQ9c3TZdugODQjS0wbzCd6TUd4rj2cHaYsIrScX87hum0jeHcNc48dMpqil_KisB49KfbPANqauiadu0GrrG/s640/Spring+garden%252C+fireplace%252C+pavers+097.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>I got quite attached to this path after refining its layout and leveling it up</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZoMUrIwGMSgsenIjHkCv8biO3VcWq9Dw4KmpSJmLuU8_0QhlFe08VAD2j3nAOHwzVhVWsI2PqzTaORaiMLtwLZAtpPr_cIOs3pTKxsIGcV7P73oaov5M1bHWPbKZzvjpIJSf6U9HUzQX/s1600/Spring+garden%252C+fireplace%252C+pavers+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZoMUrIwGMSgsenIjHkCv8biO3VcWq9Dw4KmpSJmLuU8_0QhlFe08VAD2j3nAOHwzVhVWsI2PqzTaORaiMLtwLZAtpPr_cIOs3pTKxsIGcV7P73oaov5M1bHWPbKZzvjpIJSf6U9HUzQX/s640/Spring+garden%252C+fireplace%252C+pavers+080.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Transfer of this layout to the front of the house seemed desirable, but quickly proved impossible!</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">At this point I realized</span><span style="font-size: large;"> I just needed to haul enough of my stone to the actual site to begin the pathway on the ground, accepting it would not be laid out in its entirety all in one go. This seemed a big leap at the time, requiring me to take the risk of laying it out progressively in shorter segments, bringing each one to finished state before starting the next. I do like to see what I'm fashioning before setting it in cement, but knowing I had a supply of consistent materials allowed me to feel I could achieve a unified whole despite building it piecemeal. Sometimes you have to get out from under abstractions, which here involved adapting to the idea of tolerating the unknown for indefinite periods of time. So I began trucking stone to town, and at a certain point, I just dove in. Of course, some of the old path had to be knocked out first, which I did in phases in order to preserve access throughout layout and construction. I also excavated the existing underpinnings as needed, replacing coarse gravel and sand with compacted road base, in turn topped with a bed of three-eighths minus (aka 'crusher fines') as a prelude to starting layout.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDFzzRaX2lIK1CWs9MR_lRUSpSj13i8Xmpg1Hf3otYyj98ec9lskmp5cH9FB9QS40dLQPqa80YK5zVqz9gkrfEqPbQIiPLrV_P1ji3d14vSnWBZCBk0J0vGBMap6W9m1UlOSWn_NXqYqD/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDFzzRaX2lIK1CWs9MR_lRUSpSj13i8Xmpg1Hf3otYyj98ec9lskmp5cH9FB9QS40dLQPqa80YK5zVqz9gkrfEqPbQIiPLrV_P1ji3d14vSnWBZCBk0J0vGBMap6W9m1UlOSWn_NXqYqD/s640/DSC_0032.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>First segment in rough layout, needing tightening and closer leveling before being mortared</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Once I'd taken the plunge there was no going back. Fortunately, life contrived to hand me a period of relatively greater disposable time. The photo above is the first of the inchoate pathway, in a rough initial layout. A sense of expectation grew as I placed those first stones and saw the jigsaw puzzle begin to emerge on the ground. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">This first phase lasted a while, as I had to formalize my approach to working with these materials. I quickly realized that daily comings and goings over pavers set loosely on a bed of crusher fines are an effective way to pre-load the base in preparation for eventual mortaring-in. Once I had brought the first section to a point where I was satisfied with the layout, the next challenge was to develop a way</span> of keeping the path operational while setting the stones in mortar. This I did by working on one-half its width at a time, barriering that portion off so the mortar could set and harden. Fortunately, my family is patient with my slow-motion paving efforts, so was willing to put up with inconvenience while I figured out how to make progress. Effectively there was no other choice.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Spring shows progress and a foretaste of how it will look finished up</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Considerations of utility also entered into the shaping of this new path. While the alignment was settled, the path needed to be wider than the past design, which pinched unacceptably at points. My goal was to make it wide enough for two people to pass comfortably, which is fitting on a main path and necessary for the moving of goods and appliances, some of which are quite bulky and all of which have to enter through the front door. As the path makes its way past the rock outcrops the house sits on, the</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KalD8IxxiedKW7trNVR03Oaidnem9uI95T7xB0TiWQ4DRwRPbiz0PXI56GpQRF2wVwuI0LoaTgKuImymX1ZDOs4RvAPkU8LJpICm0e-bRmCsS6LzQIwKh2j5jRr8MdI20p4BFrkSl1tB/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KalD8IxxiedKW7trNVR03Oaidnem9uI95T7xB0TiWQ4DRwRPbiz0PXI56GpQRF2wVwuI0LoaTgKuImymX1ZDOs4RvAPkU8LJpICm0e-bRmCsS6LzQIwKh2j5jRr8MdI20p4BFrkSl1tB/s320/DSC_0055.JPG" width="212" /></a> land rises towards the house (see inset), while leveling out into a narrow bench on the other side of the path. Retention for the existing path had been awkwardly handled on the house side, which I judged needed rebuilding in a lower and more horizontal profile. And I was coming to feel that a degree of symmetry in these banks would be desirable, which meant securing enough of the appropriate material to edge both sides uniformly. I opted to use rock collected on site for the edgings, thereby continuing a past choice while supplementing my supplies with material foraged from a nearby highway cut. All of this local metamorphic rock would contrast nicely with the softer and warmer sandstone used for the paving. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There was also a broader aesthetic concept forming in the back of my mind as the path began taking shape on the ground, involving the analogy of a stream-like flow across a hillside. Stone paths readily develop feelings of movement or flow, so I became curious to see if impressions of path-as-stream could be conjured and amplified in the disposition of stones. I knew I wanted to lessen the slope on the main run somewhat, which meant introducing a heightened step at the bottom end to soften out the gradient. This background idea of hinting at stream-like motion proved a fruitful metaphor as the path grew in extent, affecting both the ultimate placement of the new step and the dynamic shape its lip would assume to symbolize directional flow. </span><span style="font-size: large;">But where the enabling step should be placed, how it should capture the feeling of stream moving as a body downhill, remained to be worked out. The base of the step would also become the point at which the main path divided into two distinct channels, one major in continuation of the path towards parking and the street, one lesser to accommodate a junction with an informal path from another part of the garden. In my estimation, the main path needed to project its flowing motion further downhill than the current configuration, whose actual purpose (step or retention) seemed unclear (see below). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9isNOU53XeVxVRuZ2dq6kYvLJRFWObmEAMA7Top_H_a2yuY_ZAqYt7-T59G-jozkgsjfRF54USfrD-aeltyVcP9On_JbY5utmgh9kB6WllnbM21L3Q9GKCIpn6k-bn8XRoLHmfusYs_s0/s1600/Rocks%2521%2521Folder+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9isNOU53XeVxVRuZ2dq6kYvLJRFWObmEAMA7Top_H_a2yuY_ZAqYt7-T59G-jozkgsjfRF54USfrD-aeltyVcP9On_JbY5utmgh9kB6WllnbM21L3Q9GKCIpn6k-bn8XRoLHmfusYs_s0/s640/Rocks%2521%2521Folder+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>An existing half-step appears directly behind the roughed-in new step, but would need removal!</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBZnaYtHmi9oAIWiH8J5m-wjDBvmTmRAVjHg0bSo4M5dPnXIAkZ8bzJ6muthmpe5RWybl8zRoiUoOEm48HY5_7Fo45B-MpSM9Pe_GIvdztelKJy-2k_JTHS7DHDgiJk97XB6HCY9RO2TI/s1600/Rocks%2521%2521Folder+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBZnaYtHmi9oAIWiH8J5m-wjDBvmTmRAVjHg0bSo4M5dPnXIAkZ8bzJ6muthmpe5RWybl8zRoiUoOEm48HY5_7Fo45B-MpSM9Pe_GIvdztelKJy-2k_JTHS7DHDgiJk97XB6HCY9RO2TI/s640/Rocks%2521%2521Folder+030.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Initially I wanted to keep the old step for retention, but it would have pushed the path too high</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I initially thought I wanted to keep the existing step as retention for the base under the new path. But after trying this on (above) it became clear that the old makeshift had to come out and that a new step would need to be elevated on its own base course. The land begins to fall away more sharply through this section, so a distinct step up was desirable for both accessibility and to reinforce the impression of a stream. Best of all, my initial effort at layout without a base turned out not to be wasted at all, as it enabled me to arrive at a dynamic flow-form for the top-tier stones. And, having that top course in design allowed me to know exactly where to place a base course under it! The next pictures show this new layout evolving.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoG94SFC09l2bo8HFvVrOl6emJUtFnfCrN2r7btUqNu1gM9-JkrFXqSV_OEMYok3Jp1-w_VqkiQNE3SXljoqnM0VHSZUaJ6EOASfi-Doiq2OOtLzovUo2ZVc-QIdHGLMTrpOK5Twss3Ii5/s1600/House+and+garden+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoG94SFC09l2bo8HFvVrOl6emJUtFnfCrN2r7btUqNu1gM9-JkrFXqSV_OEMYok3Jp1-w_VqkiQNE3SXljoqnM0VHSZUaJ6EOASfi-Doiq2OOtLzovUo2ZVc-QIdHGLMTrpOK5Twss3Ii5/s640/House+and+garden+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Old half-step knocked out, new base just mortared in place, echoing the proposed top course flow</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuUUa1KD0_uE36YIHNrZmwzBCVa0oCeVXhdgfsSfWgYWjT0hZJ_CDJ16NenilsvgrA_xxkVh-Djj1Wi3zVj65YWa0SmUkDBIOCG3elnMwtQ-Q9h8O1nJ0O-Ai88AC1emb3iUqqSjc1GzI/s1600/Others+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuUUa1KD0_uE36YIHNrZmwzBCVa0oCeVXhdgfsSfWgYWjT0hZJ_CDJ16NenilsvgrA_xxkVh-Djj1Wi3zVj65YWa0SmUkDBIOCG3elnMwtQ-Q9h8O1nJ0O-Ai88AC1emb3iUqqSjc1GzI/s640/Others+018.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Viewed from above, illustrating how the corner could be turned on the left, again capturing flow</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A great deal of playing about went into this phase of the work. The layout needed to flow freely while feeling closely built-in at this point too, so plenty of tightening and refining went on before anything was set in mortar. Once the base course was in place, I could backfill the crib with fines and raise the actual path to working grade. The step base incorporates an intriguing curve (seen from above, it's flowing outwards in a dynamic bulge) that to me visually implies forward movement, spilling around the rockery edge (at right, below).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6vi-l3Mk5vtHe5Vdl_gNWYH10a6pvOFDxvT3nSowwZAcBXy2-1099ZIgrAsCIOOVy6XDK1UxT5aOlAnjf9nAvniocwfzgAoXb0eUlClqswwxX_50N_PJusiBvz-ZDx5K22ZQKS_Hw6h7/s1600/Various+Colbungs+098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6vi-l3Mk5vtHe5Vdl_gNWYH10a6pvOFDxvT3nSowwZAcBXy2-1099ZIgrAsCIOOVy6XDK1UxT5aOlAnjf9nAvniocwfzgAoXb0eUlClqswwxX_50N_PJusiBvz-ZDx5K22ZQKS_Hw6h7/s640/Various+Colbungs+098.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Base for retention, now filled with crusher fines awaiting surfacing</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'd gotten caught up in working out a shape for a bed adjacent to the path while making the pathway proper. In effect, the two helped design each other, as one strand of the path would curl round the new bed edge and head off in a novel direction. You can see that bed evolving to the right of the path in the pictures above and below. Rounded at the nose of the rockery, this would cause the path to flow around it to generate an ancillary path running off the main one. I really enjoyed the process of knitting these elements together in design, and then finally fixing them in place with mortar.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XTLc0NKIPVmG5OvRg2BOtXjuJs59kTy_k7I9raKamMDzSuVT7QoT-yuVI-H6NQrvpSgrzb2heK-uVsBeDpkN4kZk8TZmZyA0H1oQeGX-ehyphenhyphenjyVpPHaPLhWhWdm8DpR5xFqa4Z81_AXNN/s1600/rough+layout+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XTLc0NKIPVmG5OvRg2BOtXjuJs59kTy_k7I9raKamMDzSuVT7QoT-yuVI-H6NQrvpSgrzb2heK-uVsBeDpkN4kZk8TZmZyA0H1oQeGX-ehyphenhyphenjyVpPHaPLhWhWdm8DpR5xFqa4Z81_AXNN/s640/rough+layout+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Nearly ready for fixing in place, the step's form accommodates a secondary path branching off</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By this point the sequence of tasks leading to finished path had become formalized in my practice: first, lay down base materials, then rough-in initial layout, then tighten spacing and placement (including some reworking of the stone to smooth out ragged edges), then mortar stones in place, followed finally by filling and tooling of seams using tuck pointers. If the chunks of stone are thick enough, they can be set directly in cement; if thinner, they may need to have a base of cement and smaller stones for a foundation. Each of these phases absorbs time, the more so as I approach the work almost meditatively, which affords access to a working space (sometimes called 'flow') in which really good outcomes have room to develop. All this means really is that one's mind is entirely engaged in the process at hand - you get lost in the work and become one with it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"When you find your place where you are, practice occurs" </span></b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Dogen</span></i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I enjoy getting to the point where stones are finally set in place but the seams between them are not yet filled - arguably this is a path's most zen-like moment, because the voids between stones echo the solids and the resulting impression is graphic. Despite their appeal, the voids are filled with mortar because this ultimately simplifies the ongoing maintenance of the path. In our environment, any trough left open fills rapidly with organic material, which readily becomes soil supporting organic life (most commonly, moss). It is tremendously time-consuming to keep such troughs clear of material, which may be alright if you have staff to maintain your infrastructure! Filling the seams with mortar slows this process down, although it does not check it fully and eventually moss does need to be reckoned with. Mortared seams also serve to increase the grip of the path under foot. And, I think they do reinforce the blended, or in Japanese terms the 'gyo', quality of the result, emphasizing unity of ensemble over the individual pieces comprising it. In an English landscape lexicon, designs tend to be classed as either formal or informal, but in the Japanese idiom there is this middle term ('gyo') for designs that seek to blend both formal and informal characteristics. A path that is 'gyo' by design uses informal materials (random shapes of broken field stone or bedrock) to create an ensemble that in turn exhibits a degree of formality. Hence the term stone carpet (or 'nobedan') to describe this sort of mixed but unified path.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlCLcccp_ia2Y1Inz4fVgzkwobJzkxzmgib6AW5Sj7HypRaVE-wdQHoqJaMUIugNeh7UrS3H_z8cTHwcViJPfPWvJZAwxd5FBZKQ_iRl_CHpEcHXj6tzYvvswRBd0gJ34r8i26gYJqJNC/s1600/March+two+three+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlCLcccp_ia2Y1Inz4fVgzkwobJzkxzmgib6AW5Sj7HypRaVE-wdQHoqJaMUIugNeh7UrS3H_z8cTHwcViJPfPWvJZAwxd5FBZKQ_iRl_CHpEcHXj6tzYvvswRBd0gJ34r8i26gYJqJNC/s640/March+two+three+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Layout now committed, mortaring stones in position, to be followed by seam filling and tooling</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Eventually even an approach as slow as this renders a relatively complete product, and the path maker can draw satisfaction from the outcome and feel pride in having actually bulled the work through. I am definitely having those feelings in the picture below, despite my work having really just begun. In fact, this is phase one of the four phases that will ultimately see us to a finished pathway. But here I am enjoying the fact that my notion of a stream appears to have borne fruit, confirmed in the way the step curves dynamically around the bank, drops suddenly like a falls, then spreads out onto a delta (yet to be constructed). At this point I have a growing sense of expectation about where all this is going!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxEUQqx2t8elfep-xWzru4VAgGmQLSUkXqzPY1iNa-uZmrdj1Qrl0vFnaeJXoWJdo9BQMybHr_845yWwXYt2jXQCvJPcM96RN1Eo9vLWB5nNG4H8wv3Rxmw7OxSSDzIubf-Fp6wV2IdIT/s1600/One+down+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxEUQqx2t8elfep-xWzru4VAgGmQLSUkXqzPY1iNa-uZmrdj1Qrl0vFnaeJXoWJdo9BQMybHr_845yWwXYt2jXQCvJPcM96RN1Eo9vLWB5nNG4H8wv3Rxmw7OxSSDzIubf-Fp6wV2IdIT/s640/One+down+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Inventing a new landing</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Because I work more adaptively than prescriptively, by eye say rather than by measure, I discover things en route that are knock-on consequences of previous decisions. So when I decided to introduce a raised step in order to lessen the incline of the main run of path, in effect I was also deciding to introduce a raised landing between the steps up from the parking pad and the main run of path. The fact the landing needed raising as a step wasn't fully evident to me until I began its construction, which takes shape in the area directly under my boots in the photo above. Once again, engineering this step up to the landing from the flight of steps from below will serve to level that run, in contrast to the asphalt path which rose up fairly sharply here. Being quite taken with the first phase of path-making, I had ready energy for getting on with what came next. Job one was to excavate the asphalt and even out the landing's current incline. I began closest to the steps leading up from the parking pad, hoping to be able to build right over part of the asphalt - but once again, this was not going to work out.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird9N3bf2BOLpq1Gvl81vbu1ypPrX1SZzMChqjN_jgxoVHyKiZhNYtpFdVvaC5opgqtuvclaRZwYS-DtKE_8mw_XSrZWoiJRRATEOXfU9c_Ck5IPGm2fCO3nb-A4AW7wUhjb_OWjf49dG-/s1600/Next+steps+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird9N3bf2BOLpq1Gvl81vbu1ypPrX1SZzMChqjN_jgxoVHyKiZhNYtpFdVvaC5opgqtuvclaRZwYS-DtKE_8mw_XSrZWoiJRRATEOXfU9c_Ck5IPGm2fCO3nb-A4AW7wUhjb_OWjf49dG-/s640/Next+steps+012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>First, remove asphalt behind the step, excavate, then add compacted base material to build on</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I recall this moment in time quite vividly because by now I was totally inside the job and enjoying a certain exuberance. It's a great mental space to occupy: creativity feels like it can just flow on, undaunted by fresh challenges. I felt growing confidence that I could coax the next piece of path into a shape that would harmonize with the segment preceding it. And, I had real appetite for more of this form of self-expression, so I was now approaching the work with a serious wind to my back.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qO0HCAL-_RvWqMlhEQPnoQyAFqqQJ5LV02fm5TYZvnwfbUkGoKdvk7HbTYjiUrRgaZoRlbVJ2K3Xhg1g4VUqXG9gHAlpt1BMYWmxTpI-J7_bqEEkvs_24eUaxehlXsLMlDG7NKh7W638/s1600/prelim+layouts+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qO0HCAL-_RvWqMlhEQPnoQyAFqqQJ5LV02fm5TYZvnwfbUkGoKdvk7HbTYjiUrRgaZoRlbVJ2K3Xhg1g4VUqXG9gHAlpt1BMYWmxTpI-J7_bqEEkvs_24eUaxehlXsLMlDG7NKh7W638/s640/prelim+layouts+008.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Quick first go at a complex layout, to gain a sense of what it will look like</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ssUnsE0vdWRgoBIvdrDYAUaapqgc2JAt2TapLPcWE09MY4U6Rq-X02imj9WRRsOPEAbzULROCwKcf1d5VigO5e-ul9bL1K_DBiCGouBWdVM6JJDj4MTjy_H0Kh9JLXonMcqwOdXtN69Y/s1600/prelim+layouts+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ssUnsE0vdWRgoBIvdrDYAUaapqgc2JAt2TapLPcWE09MY4U6Rq-X02imj9WRRsOPEAbzULROCwKcf1d5VigO5e-ul9bL1K_DBiCGouBWdVM6JJDj4MTjy_H0Kh9JLXonMcqwOdXtN69Y/s640/prelim+layouts+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Defining the height of the raised landing, seeking a gentler slope up to the main path</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The landing was laid out substantially in springtime and mortared in during the summer and fall of 2012. I savoured this part of the project, working at lessening the path's downward trajectory through the landing, in a sequence of pleasurable, trance-like bouts of personal creativity. Ultimately it became clear that the remaining asphalt had to be knocked out so the grade down from the waterfall-step could be lessened as it moved through the landing.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDT06qh9wPM2bGr6063CJ4ouL2gendCtJ9hCI7eTV3m-kBXnoD7qAViN9riVpsMZU9FK2UafR_uYb2n3LbzDXK2VsSJyaEV69gUnyTN7CNYE9zLv50xtJCzDWeOFK0fPAvt_qCP97vFIFk/s1600/various+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDT06qh9wPM2bGr6063CJ4ouL2gendCtJ9hCI7eTV3m-kBXnoD7qAViN9riVpsMZU9FK2UafR_uYb2n3LbzDXK2VsSJyaEV69gUnyTN7CNYE9zLv50xtJCzDWeOFK0fPAvt_qCP97vFIFk/s640/various+031.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Still trying to avoid knocking the old base out, but the slope is too steep</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYX-01OhbeYi-HbpZ918dwKOvyOifHXq_BBl-W7_oDKX-GFHRaBl71sCq-buVTgQA4g4ciTAs-8Ls0fHPGLupXcFQwe_CT5_ZdBuDQnljQvk_KPnANcMzrpwDxIwHfnibTQRdslrXrQToo/s1600/select+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYX-01OhbeYi-HbpZ918dwKOvyOifHXq_BBl-W7_oDKX-GFHRaBl71sCq-buVTgQA4g4ciTAs-8Ls0fHPGLupXcFQwe_CT5_ZdBuDQnljQvk_KPnANcMzrpwDxIwHfnibTQRdslrXrQToo/s640/select+002.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bullet bitten: asphalt be gone, excavate and replace the base</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgst3evMKrm0gd0toV5WxiTRMoj_vsE2KsaULmxu_bL1NbaEkHWGnmyodUZdp_Y2-hHsctBIL3Z8KaMJF9v4-J3LU8Z16h7uj-MTKHGo5pEak8MjzWdjLFO4pRhj3mGnfsHjWtNf3lXfsRo/s1600/end+May+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgst3evMKrm0gd0toV5WxiTRMoj_vsE2KsaULmxu_bL1NbaEkHWGnmyodUZdp_Y2-hHsctBIL3Z8KaMJF9v4-J3LU8Z16h7uj-MTKHGo5pEak8MjzWdjLFO4pRhj3mGnfsHjWtNf3lXfsRo/s640/end+May+009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Layout redone, this time in a gentler, flowing gradient, now ready for mortaring in</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF9UdnHXL4v7cTN1aC7wmuwOkwLcc_zMXECQJSG7rbIEsbtVAaQlEJSJzP8pk7F2nRnhS4dRhJJxdBRy754Q1s_XH552sAQREFfChhR9EIw1LKh65SkDUBvENpak3MGZipgoxpwCadIcO/s1600/end+May+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF9UdnHXL4v7cTN1aC7wmuwOkwLcc_zMXECQJSG7rbIEsbtVAaQlEJSJzP8pk7F2nRnhS4dRhJJxdBRy754Q1s_XH552sAQREFfChhR9EIw1LKh65SkDUBvENpak3MGZipgoxpwCadIcO/s640/end+May+006.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Seen from above, close to finished version</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_N2WWC_bI-z-R0lP2SQVjqs-tfTPN-QeOiHogExBiweUIw_VnP3TEjKMWZKwtmu6JEG7ieGPlc6B0yJrokolhNwYdJ4U2foOkQ-knRbDtFtxLBcuDFWD2Yh0Hz68Q3xjh3SokZ3xfxSc/s1600/mid+September+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_N2WWC_bI-z-R0lP2SQVjqs-tfTPN-QeOiHogExBiweUIw_VnP3TEjKMWZKwtmu6JEG7ieGPlc6B0yJrokolhNwYdJ4U2foOkQ-knRbDtFtxLBcuDFWD2Yh0Hz68Q3xjh3SokZ3xfxSc/s640/mid+September+047.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Closing in on completeness, a couple more presentation stones still to be fixed in place</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By spring of 2013, the landing is fully functional and I'm preparing myself to tackle the next piece of the puzzle. Our house is slated to be on Saanich's fall heritage tour in this its centennial year, so it is important to get the work to a point of greater completeness. This next section posed some unique challenges and so had an engaging complexity to it from the start, but prior successes led to confidence that really any obstacle could be surmounted. As the old zen saying infers ('the obstacle is the path'), resolving the obstacles was in fact the way of defining the path.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AvlpAnJI7um1LM-u_mX5uxD9Dw52CkZBsU2zXJuiyqEzkFV3kz3tUumAR5ieu1wnqkEKehMEDrYZ-wqlll9vXSXRRIPv0yeJfPuodmYkq3dFB2EwAw4kNJ6MmVqtT5J8KySHzGL1_S3a/s1600/Marching+on+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AvlpAnJI7um1LM-u_mX5uxD9Dw52CkZBsU2zXJuiyqEzkFV3kz3tUumAR5ieu1wnqkEKehMEDrYZ-wqlll9vXSXRRIPv0yeJfPuodmYkq3dFB2EwAw4kNJ6MmVqtT5J8KySHzGL1_S3a/s640/Marching+on+007.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Looking smart, if terribly new, the main stem of the path is in hand</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Fashioning a pair of distinctive steps</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can see how the path splits into two distinct channels at the main step, as if flowing on either side of the bed that's defining itself in the foreground (photo above). To me, the analogy of captured motion is graphic here, imparting mystery and interest to the emerging walkway. I am taking care to also reinforce connection to the building's arts-and-crafts motifs by striving for as much of a built-in feeling as possible (the house itself comes with many built-in components, such as window seats, and its form has been gracefully inserted into the landscape). Most principal walkways in modern</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzzKt6jXenQmngmRQ0YcFdMtxO_Iv_50WY82_CHIFV2CRr0DIkUAAzuJ9SzWGoBsq65OEHEOY0mZAGiUcvxxQRi5G-3Tbn6xVq9BxHLWHCAS34uIHEr8F5XGM47la9TbJS1i2EgJzYLHw/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzzKt6jXenQmngmRQ0YcFdMtxO_Iv_50WY82_CHIFV2CRr0DIkUAAzuJ9SzWGoBsq65OEHEOY0mZAGiUcvxxQRi5G-3Tbn6xVq9BxHLWHCAS34uIHEr8F5XGM47la9TbJS1i2EgJzYLHw/s320/DSC_0050.JPG" width="212" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">suburbia comprise a fairly straight shot from parking pad to front door (typically rendered in concrete, a wonderfully serviceable if bland material), so this path's gently curving and lengthy alignment sits at the opposite end of the spectrum, taking one on a stroll through landscape along the building's entire length before accessing the front door. I hoped to transform this passage into a more memorable experience by making a surface that would feel like it belonged where placed, and over time come to feel as though it had been there for a long time. The use of stone goes a long way towards capturing such impressions of longevity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After finishing up the landing, the next challenge was to tie the main trunk into a more minor path that was currently a narrow beaten track winding up from the road through a wooded area of the garden. The existing alignment was totally informal, a trail through a woodland that possessed a certain charm. However, nearing the main path the land rises sharply over some exposed bedrock, which meant the existing configuration charged up an incline fairly abruptly. This was not always easy to navigate, so the thought here was to replace the sharp rise with at least two, and possibly three, secure steps, which would reduce risk and extend utility by facilitating a more convenient access from below. One issue to resolve was scaling the new steps to sit well aesthetically with the main path while fitting them comfortably into the land form.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpXv2H1d8pIRQY8mu2no7_QgssmNH64sPiwGoviosZfTSVSLNz2fHznjU5hoH_fmn0rJ5kJfX1OtoWu6HLq9m8dxtMWLG2Zm7ivqNqlmCYQ0zOPYm789o0UcBfbIFExlxypYTaFNW_foa/s1600/March+ment+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpXv2H1d8pIRQY8mu2no7_QgssmNH64sPiwGoviosZfTSVSLNz2fHznjU5hoH_fmn0rJ5kJfX1OtoWu6HLq9m8dxtMWLG2Zm7ivqNqlmCYQ0zOPYm789o0UcBfbIFExlxypYTaFNW_foa/s640/March+ment+003.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>First attempt to rough-in step edges, after settling a base into place</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhGY796KbKjDWv3sfs8tKVGImrMJZcg1xGDwdLkXLn-PsM216jqLt9h08TcQl6rImhtyNMGXevmTUPPEpgdtm8IwEoIh3uh0IEg8v5xUaXZ5xm7BLGUggS3Y_HWORUh93eUMQmMzkXMOI/s1600/March+ment+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhGY796KbKjDWv3sfs8tKVGImrMJZcg1xGDwdLkXLn-PsM216jqLt9h08TcQl6rImhtyNMGXevmTUPPEpgdtm8IwEoIh3uh0IEg8v5xUaXZ5xm7BLGUggS3Y_HWORUh93eUMQmMzkXMOI/s640/March+ment+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Complexities abound: bed edges to be formed on either side, landing to continue into first step</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There were lots of considerations in finding a design for this segment of path. One decision was to continue the landing around the bed's edge and directly into the top step (above). This would enable moving a wheel barrow through the landing level without having to step it up and down to the main path's level. But the steps really needed to look 'right' for the site, so be neatly fitted-in between two beds that were evolving in tandem with it. There was a lot of feeling-my-way through this piece of the work in order to resolve things like how deep to make the steps. This is where a willingness to play around with prospective layouts really comes in handy. Once you commit to mortaring stones in place, they are well and truly fixed there (becoming the new datum, as it were) - so I want to be sure it's going to work, aesthetically and utility-wise, before committing to a layout.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqH1_7I49KQySIIcMofGTh7HdoGrgPEnM_Z_uRTGafcZA4pznT2DGlPT3RL8ueXUQrWk44flozK2K0MA30ZtrSQnoqr-JU1WhR_c_eaLhyphenhypheniMZh588hjmDdd4zUnmsGliTQCC_scvW2fXPo/s1600/end+Mar+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqH1_7I49KQySIIcMofGTh7HdoGrgPEnM_Z_uRTGafcZA4pznT2DGlPT3RL8ueXUQrWk44flozK2K0MA30ZtrSQnoqr-JU1WhR_c_eaLhyphenhypheniMZh588hjmDdd4zUnmsGliTQCC_scvW2fXPo/s640/end+Mar+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Top step deepening, developing proportion consistent with the rest of the pathway</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkunOHfCiNjHjm09fyq-c6p5K7Gby_wMALw26irb9WNkHNBsfWj0RAwIQMjtEki7hBmgMWFcu90XcyWT3-OdIdzAEMctKzT8xqG5cQ8KDKZ4g0aThqs4RaAll0kcs9BOD-wmau6yJ0a-RL/s1600/early+April+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkunOHfCiNjHjm09fyq-c6p5K7Gby_wMALw26irb9WNkHNBsfWj0RAwIQMjtEki7hBmgMWFcu90XcyWT3-OdIdzAEMctKzT8xqG5cQ8KDKZ4g0aThqs4RaAll0kcs9BOD-wmau6yJ0a-RL/s640/early+April+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Proportioning continues, the top stop deepening, third step now an open question in my mind</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE42mpce1rWqui-N859Jpey67CUsvSpHo3YHbWlWJ7woSlSy6fDGdzZw3PEqOzWkxOglVcoUNCFdJ3coCFfFvGDAXS62YgM3AXyBYvUiLa67pQs6WU4oaUaahUxG8Ujw_ugn4eojGqbtpP/s1600/Lection+532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE42mpce1rWqui-N859Jpey67CUsvSpHo3YHbWlWJ7woSlSy6fDGdzZw3PEqOzWkxOglVcoUNCFdJ3coCFfFvGDAXS62YgM3AXyBYvUiLa67pQs6WU4oaUaahUxG8Ujw_ugn4eojGqbtpP/s640/Lection+532.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Two steps firmed up, top step mortared in, edges taking shape</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Introducing steps at this point had advantages, but at some point the newly built steps would need to transition to beaten woodland trail. Arriving at this layout would ultimately become phase four of the project, but the question of how and where to make the transition was still open at this point. A chief concern was to make the steps generous enough to feel secure under foot, as goods were often trundled up this way from a solo parking spot at the road edge, and also to design them to better accommodate advancing age and diminishing balance on the residents' part. And I obviously hoped for an overall consistency and visual balance with the main path and landing, while still giving the steps their own distinctive presence. You need your head in the right space to get the most out of this sort of process, where things are co-defining. The return of spring certainly inspires you to get out there and do it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIZ01gZRckF4XjHhQL8JescS5-Q1Tp-3kYhkyjnl2L-fq9Gqjx5aV2K2KyX_SLHfNyKdvT9k-ygqAQI3RK_cYWMWUz922r9DsBl6yO8voSOmGgA1QaG00Fc3odswYH9HG-a7K9YwWwhUb/s1600/April+showers+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIZ01gZRckF4XjHhQL8JescS5-Q1Tp-3kYhkyjnl2L-fq9Gqjx5aV2K2KyX_SLHfNyKdvT9k-ygqAQI3RK_cYWMWUz922r9DsBl6yO8voSOmGgA1QaG00Fc3odswYH9HG-a7K9YwWwhUb/s640/April+showers+141.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Spring returns and the opportunities for continued stone work expand</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">By May and on into June, things were shaping up nicely. The next pictures show the steps laid out and being mortared in, then their seams being filled and tooled. I find setting the shape of a step to be supremely satisfying - you see the form first appear with voids between the pieces emphasized, which dramatizes the forms (below). Filling the seams is careful work, time-consuming but also highly rewarding. At this time of year it needs to be got at earlier or later in the day, as the sun is simply too strong otherwise and hurries the mortar relentlessly. When mortar sets up too fast, it doesn't achieve optimal strength. I employ a hand mister to help keep things moist during seam-filling, and I place a cover over newly mortared segments to keep direct sunlight off. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnFF9yO1SN9U3Tp5J01IzYmDLtW1A-JzEVhtLEJRx9WTDCTBRMCwh0uu2dVseWHdGiXKE3ASQOsiBEx683Ypp8ZJz2tpLO4gRI6MU5e2acodvxPOCvPWk3GXUKUmZdUNpg2hPRX9QM7Ms/s1600/Maybe+227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnFF9yO1SN9U3Tp5J01IzYmDLtW1A-JzEVhtLEJRx9WTDCTBRMCwh0uu2dVseWHdGiXKE3ASQOsiBEx683Ypp8ZJz2tpLO4gRI6MU5e2acodvxPOCvPWk3GXUKUmZdUNpg2hPRX9QM7Ms/s640/Maybe+227.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>First step mortared in as a continuation of the landing level</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0nZD1xLZinrT_cnhoo887PM_6UDgLWeosHcbhZfZwQi4eSwcL2wUdQx7ERtXil3zYs8AEmLMrrhyphenhyphenr2JjpR9Ira5AKuB7TVhkScvYHSeBERzSVnPooI8QdvOssQWbR_YuDP8bIOLPWU-4/s1600/Joon+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0nZD1xLZinrT_cnhoo887PM_6UDgLWeosHcbhZfZwQi4eSwcL2wUdQx7ERtXil3zYs8AEmLMrrhyphenhyphenr2JjpR9Ira5AKuB7TVhkScvYHSeBERzSVnPooI8QdvOssQWbR_YuDP8bIOLPWU-4/s640/Joon+052.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Second step roughly mortared in place, adjacent rockeries taking shape as well</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrrHJK3Ch099g7dSlGjTZNQBVe-GBTAx6YSPTDqXEKqoRLzFlFjpfBmton7HuvyFxu7ZHrU-EAKIOujGwKrguJUROj1_k6sHRhDTurZMq_njpCzUGYeqR4fBvlPLpU1sqnRlsTj0xAypA/s1600/Joon+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrrHJK3Ch099g7dSlGjTZNQBVe-GBTAx6YSPTDqXEKqoRLzFlFjpfBmton7HuvyFxu7ZHrU-EAKIOujGwKrguJUROj1_k6sHRhDTurZMq_njpCzUGYeqR4fBvlPLpU1sqnRlsTj0xAypA/s640/Joon+075.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Filling the seams with mortar, tooling them with tuck pointers.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprdjRqprm2jzzcvCTu2yEVYrSs9HpGDnYmHeGH_tCYmehJLvJ0ug7A3k3VhmLwZWzkX0zJ3xqi7wtSvUg2aIhn5R1u6VENBcivsREEOCp-mLDLAEVc5ruDdNGvy3VFL7atv2L7RZkTEWB/s1600/Joon+081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprdjRqprm2jzzcvCTu2yEVYrSs9HpGDnYmHeGH_tCYmehJLvJ0ug7A3k3VhmLwZWzkX0zJ3xqi7wtSvUg2aIhn5R1u6VENBcivsREEOCp-mLDLAEVc5ruDdNGvy3VFL7atv2L7RZkTEWB/s640/Joon+081.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Seams drying out, misted with sprayer to slow the process down in the harsh light</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Extending the secondary pathway</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As noted, I had some difficulty deciding whether it was to be two steps or three. The choice really was either a third step or a short section of pathway in place of a third step. I hemmed and hawed for a time, then decided to lay it out as a chunk of path just to see how that would look. The old alignment ran through a dip at this point, exaggerating the degree of challenge in accessing the main path. I decided to fill the dip with base material, and that step suggested that a short section of path might be in fact be the way to go. So I thought I'd test that proposition with a fairly quick layout, pictured below.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTxrWRhE0T126BMH8d989ERas9GI9ZZbN1vu9yRMmMiUB2zEJZstfYjxqF2PrVlUu1wZKElq63Qnf6-8f5a6ONxDYGFTN1SX_PD6kLt7Rb25asJahNuRBGy2TKtdxTBcrHQYs5BnIO9iA/s1600/various+334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTxrWRhE0T126BMH8d989ERas9GI9ZZbN1vu9yRMmMiUB2zEJZstfYjxqF2PrVlUu1wZKElq63Qnf6-8f5a6ONxDYGFTN1SX_PD6kLt7Rb25asJahNuRBGy2TKtdxTBcrHQYs5BnIO9iA/s640/various+334.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>An initial rough layout of a stub path, just to see whether this was a good approach to take</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNh91XYVM3xQ2huVsyGp31Vpu4iPdn7eIRGXUpqv-RhbsnwCl0BKl04QwB6cMplAG5PhGgIbeLXEaaIU0nAwPiybUfwpfAx3ajrXw2iNOJjjbhySGmSeEq7M7fvURU4ZqbHnwTcfqMzMUS/s1600/Grange+stub+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNh91XYVM3xQ2huVsyGp31Vpu4iPdn7eIRGXUpqv-RhbsnwCl0BKl04QwB6cMplAG5PhGgIbeLXEaaIU0nAwPiybUfwpfAx3ajrXw2iNOJjjbhySGmSeEq7M7fvURU4ZqbHnwTcfqMzMUS/s640/Grange+stub+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Revised layout on the old beaten path, base course of stone under it, inadvertently phallic! </b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This was happening in early autumn, an ideal time for path-making: warm enough to be pleasant working outside in shorts, not so hot as to make it an ordeal in direct sun. These conditions are optimal for the sort of playing around with layouts that can reveal fresh possibilities. Despite this being a narrower width than the main stem of the path, I wanted it to feel substantial. I had some chunkier pieces of stone left, so I decided to use them to define the edges despite the fact this would rather crowd the central channel. The larger material would add needed heft to the edges of the path, which would be more exposed here than elsewhere. And I was determined to work with what I had on hand, rather than cause delay while I went off to collect more stone.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIe7RtW4OjDXv3hdqXo7Ibjxp_idFfukIKhLsfUVPDDZKdqGnct1CIKW_HNm2dZyfpX-Dkx8L4S9g3lAEgBnfhM5XQMEdCI3Que-pf1FtkGD-B1PEOfdnvqQLxUo3je54aGl4ZAHNf-gX/s1600/Grange+stub+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIe7RtW4OjDXv3hdqXo7Ibjxp_idFfukIKhLsfUVPDDZKdqGnct1CIKW_HNm2dZyfpX-Dkx8L4S9g3lAEgBnfhM5XQMEdCI3Que-pf1FtkGD-B1PEOfdnvqQLxUo3je54aGl4ZAHNf-gX/s640/Grange+stub+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>I decided to work with the stone on hand, so wound up with this form as a result</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGtrBfG1OLRcHjrYC-q7JftuYfPvCHUhveRk7ntKT4CuiUiFo_58ymU2EwUjKdewLYQz-4s0VqO9ozg4V9Y8KqKpaKWBLCIGWTTIOdsxWIoA2M8wLPSRk1aOqBdH_-Q8Op-_tCuRuX7wu/s1600/Grange+stub+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGtrBfG1OLRcHjrYC-q7JftuYfPvCHUhveRk7ntKT4CuiUiFo_58ymU2EwUjKdewLYQz-4s0VqO9ozg4V9Y8KqKpaKWBLCIGWTTIOdsxWIoA2M8wLPSRk1aOqBdH_-Q8Op-_tCuRuX7wu/s640/Grange+stub+011.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Path looks quite Japanesque at this point, voids emphasizing solids</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Setting the stones in place with mortar is a fun part of the process. Depending on how thin a piece is, you may need to build a little cribbing under it so it sits on a supported base (photo below). Then you mortar in the missing bits and voila, paving emerges!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HFrlcbCQx9l2zfSSdHh_QjtMm2qUpmhOvwfP5yE5TG5VYAx93C9pufZaOnBjoN8ioY8yGwgYo4hnCvQY4rrRutntje7R4T3f6Q-QxBw623cWrLcg8Ch9S9bLDSjTYKdqU63I57vDNoT8/s1600/Grange+stub+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HFrlcbCQx9l2zfSSdHh_QjtMm2qUpmhOvwfP5yE5TG5VYAx93C9pufZaOnBjoN8ioY8yGwgYo4hnCvQY4rrRutntje7R4T3f6Q-QxBw623cWrLcg8Ch9S9bLDSjTYKdqU63I57vDNoT8/s640/Grange+stub+141.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIV6558i9xHIE2tF0AVD1nxRnrIzqMP8JLLdw6Imo4_chRKFSIO2PUjZrTHiJSZv91mIiUnXa8i_zyam2Z6c72J0JgUbSB64JniPRFl2PPPwiVsdXdax3gXXSgRZMGG7x_qLEMqE-sKKT0/s1600/Grange+stub+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIV6558i9xHIE2tF0AVD1nxRnrIzqMP8JLLdw6Imo4_chRKFSIO2PUjZrTHiJSZv91mIiUnXa8i_zyam2Z6c72J0JgUbSB64JniPRFl2PPPwiVsdXdax3gXXSgRZMGG7x_qLEMqE-sKKT0/s640/Grange+stub+035.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Paving eventually emerges after a lot of adjustments, splendidly non-conjectural at this point</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH5Gnf4qvIt0P3-LvzxsnGe0srBXP6BVXnQmkzIkVBQuR3zWYOEFCpOlIg7EfbdCzBgxW_bx5oCFqPKLcM3sOswembUxjsd-VrEbdWwiH5U0Hu8r_ELFgP3eIZWPwH7VTJ-A5UazQ3wyT/s1600/Grange+stub+202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH5Gnf4qvIt0P3-LvzxsnGe0srBXP6BVXnQmkzIkVBQuR3zWYOEFCpOlIg7EfbdCzBgxW_bx5oCFqPKLcM3sOswembUxjsd-VrEbdWwiH5U0Hu8r_ELFgP3eIZWPwH7VTJ-A5UazQ3wyT/s640/Grange+stub+202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Just finished, still damp as the mortar sets up, tooled and looking quite smart</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When a process has gone on for several years (done mostly in spare time, in a leisurely manner, weather permitting) one gets rather attached to the work and watching its slow progression towards an outcome. When it finally ends and the job is apparently complete, there ensue contradictory feelings of satisfaction and, perversely, a longing for more. In the end, the job isn't fully over, because there is a lot of finishing work on the adjoining beds and edges. And, of course, there are other paving jobs calling for attention elsewhere in the garden. But none as prominent as this one, and consequently none with as much riding on the outcome. Today I still find the results of that long process intensely satisfying, as the path now feels like a permanent part of the garden environment here. It is both a strength and a weakness that sandstone is open enough in grain to age and weather quite quickly. On the plus side, this makes it feel not-new in a short while, in turn helping it to feel like it belongs where it sits, indeed that it may really always have been there. This sense of 'fitness' contributes to an overall feeling of repose that we are anxious to capture for the gardens surrounding our house. And of course, this entry pathway structures your perceptions of those gardened spaces, drawing you into them and carrying you through some engaging scenery. Below, a few last shots of the front path as its life continues to evolve and change through the years.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqj8mYZUssiZlD78aAHbQiNUBu_dJh_TEMAgRN55TLbMKLT99-A4kY1-4NR5JnFQTcSNgHMx3GV_qEgS7IGo1nPJFALBhlCwZqYrahVUWTZ0pKEYfpeKdR_D5LZ0gNd-QUhzjHdZFIepQ/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqj8mYZUssiZlD78aAHbQiNUBu_dJh_TEMAgRN55TLbMKLT99-A4kY1-4NR5JnFQTcSNgHMx3GV_qEgS7IGo1nPJFALBhlCwZqYrahVUWTZ0pKEYfpeKdR_D5LZ0gNd-QUhzjHdZFIepQ/s640/DSC_0007.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Trimming spring growth back in 2016: maintenance is now job one </b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahveJ8crD-GOXwrG99OoozklWuXlxhlFEP1qPWLIKXo-RTMbfoP-WTyrrPDmHNoBUwhKO58NpuP2xPN9LcY6eOCnGjAsgIhCF1fwkwpP-1g_YG9pg7y11uCY4hmIer23YvKXo6Ifek35X/s1600/DSC_0029+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahveJ8crD-GOXwrG99OoozklWuXlxhlFEP1qPWLIKXo-RTMbfoP-WTyrrPDmHNoBUwhKO58NpuP2xPN9LcY6eOCnGjAsgIhCF1fwkwpP-1g_YG9pg7y11uCY4hmIer23YvKXo6Ifek35X/s640/DSC_0029+%25281%2529.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Still life with oak leaves, fall berries, lichen and moss </b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45knwiMf_t4lAsRj2mW_9e4oPMnx4wLIT8gPrFDW58T0ko4xbIcvTtbmsio9_D3XJD3od7u0UXloGocACGKPDlD0HYzoQtbFcNvICxy8LRXwmgXpjwx2Z3yupwYD_6rQp4qDMcCdlNg_H/s1600/next+to+last+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45knwiMf_t4lAsRj2mW_9e4oPMnx4wLIT8gPrFDW58T0ko4xbIcvTtbmsio9_D3XJD3od7u0UXloGocACGKPDlD0HYzoQtbFcNvICxy8LRXwmgXpjwx2Z3yupwYD_6rQp4qDMcCdlNg_H/s640/next+to+last+057.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Wearing in now, white mortar softening with nature's dyes</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Rain always emphasizes the channel-like quality of the path</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Afternoon light on New Year's day, 2018, after a light shrub pruning</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Woodland path glimpsed in springtime</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<br />David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-29657703897092619742017-11-19T09:10:00.000-08:002017-12-26T08:42:34.516-08:00Turning a corner with stone slabs<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2V2o8KMTJg5wOeewXEchNM2u2M4HIcvYgx_RaXkOhELdfEPI6Ta4NX6UEDWLuVpuQWKY3kyrGIiEQMjSb-TvlE8umd9gUvSDKyJKiAaDCEYcTsyDY9uVHggEIE4OwN5IXksHe1dleSSS/s1600/DSC_0097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2V2o8KMTJg5wOeewXEchNM2u2M4HIcvYgx_RaXkOhELdfEPI6Ta4NX6UEDWLuVpuQWKY3kyrGIiEQMjSb-TvlE8umd9gUvSDKyJKiAaDCEYcTsyDY9uVHggEIE4OwN5IXksHe1dleSSS/s640/DSC_0097.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden structure to be accessed by a set of rough slab steps</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Necessity is said to be the mother of invention. Our perceptions of need spur the action that finally gets things moving and, one day, done. Here it was a matter of finishing up a set of rough slab steps begun, but left incomplete, by a landscaper rushing to finish other pieces of a complex job with his excavator. He was focussed on completing the stone retaining structures pictured above - the steps were simply an add-on from his perspective, so rudimentary work sufficed. Their original purpose was to allow people to safely climb a steep slope up to the garden gallery or terrace, comprising a secondary access to a level directly connected to the house by its own pathway from above. It fell to me, a gardener who dabbles in stone work, to fill in the gaps and complete the flight of steps. While finding a fix wasn't nearly the top priority in that baffling new landscape, it was an important one for security in access. So unaccountably one very hot day I found myself taking the plunge.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFEY0Fjp5mb3oseI3KlAUeDbDSutXzH7c2i-yhEMDe-h7ff9Q_e9C2D8Wy2JE8Z6965qPMwLGLC_w2VHk_V5hM_Uv5clVoSMQFosTyXQLDCOBd1BkXw8blk65-8DQYbueuikb7KiEndj1/s1600/DSC_0101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFEY0Fjp5mb3oseI3KlAUeDbDSutXzH7c2i-yhEMDe-h7ff9Q_e9C2D8Wy2JE8Z6965qPMwLGLC_w2VHk_V5hM_Uv5clVoSMQFosTyXQLDCOBd1BkXw8blk65-8DQYbueuikb7KiEndj1/s640/DSC_0101.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The corner to be turned: first of the new stones placed</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'd been fiddling with step-making in other locations around the house, figuring out how to make them ascend far gentler inclines than this one. Here a much sharper rise was involved, with the final flight of steps (about a third) simply left as slope. While someone could clamber up or down to paths from where the slabs ended, the shale slope they rested against was loose at the surface - clearly it would only be a matter of time until someone lost their footing on it. And as we are older folk with a social realm of increasingly older folks, it was important to act on this access, and that meant figuring out a way to turn a corner to bring the steps in level with the gallery above them. Not rocket science, but if you haven't done it before, a challenging enough puzzle. Fortunately I was guided by the need for utility first and foremost, so was prepared to be flexible in finding a fix. What mattered most was here security, refinement of aesthetics was secondary. And these were quite rough working conditions, and the work done in the excruciating heat of August on a south-facing slope.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKiM5DfDbiFHXyrPUYz-cUlZW7VEcBWg064pnNrhfkcY4I3ntNRE4xoD2-WDRouDckZfJXFt76wu3yKW2HqTf3rShkSlRJmY5fkEd64HtmrSgwkKNDnrpgZ9lVmrFrfRQc5FwIXX7orXs/s1600/DSC_0102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKiM5DfDbiFHXyrPUYz-cUlZW7VEcBWg064pnNrhfkcY4I3ntNRE4xoD2-WDRouDckZfJXFt76wu3yKW2HqTf3rShkSlRJmY5fkEd64HtmrSgwkKNDnrpgZ9lVmrFrfRQc5FwIXX7orXs/s640/DSC_0102.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A significant rise on a shale slope, showing the corner needing to be turned</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimm0Wk0aixkCDugtexUSjfW1KMPgJLEU6U8XWRGUFkPzKBEaZ5QawMd7q4RamZD30AGzJQlYaj4ib24cTk8ICE8N9UpFupFCnOLxbY_MVvEqLHhmUVJURiQevIcexIfq-niXW36-rHwjsg/s1600/DSC_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimm0Wk0aixkCDugtexUSjfW1KMPgJLEU6U8XWRGUFkPzKBEaZ5QawMd7q4RamZD30AGzJQlYaj4ib24cTk8ICE8N9UpFupFCnOLxbY_MVvEqLHhmUVJURiQevIcexIfq-niXW36-rHwjsg/s640/DSC_0107.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Second stone placed, illustrating the switchback needed to reach the landing</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I had certainly chosen an unpromising time to start this sort of work: high summer, during a prolonged drought in the intense sunlight, in a location that concentrates heat. A few hours in that exposure would see me woozy, even with a hat and sunglasses and lots of water. I found myself going through work tee-shirts non-stop. But as I've discovered over a lifetime of gardening, the best time to tackle any task is whenever you can find the time to do it. Fact is, I'd been shying away from this job, as I was a uncertain how I'd move some biggish chunks of stone down the long incline to the job site. The slabs already in place were gargantuan, placed by excavator. I couldn't match these for scale with the stones I'd be moving there by hand (and there was now no possibility of using a machine without degrading the settled part of the landscape). Also material of their size simply wouldn't do for the remaining part of the climb.To complete the job with any consistency, I would need to move smaller but substantial pieces of stone into position, without benefit of a machine.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enter the new rock dolly, above. Figuring I might need to shift pieces as heavy as a hundred pounds or more, I'd finally sourced a dolly or truck built to take that and far heavier weights. With this device in hand, there was no longer an excuse not to begin the job. So one hot Saturday, in impromptu fashion, I began the job. First I scoured my rock piles for candidate chunks. I'm not a trained stone worker, and my hands and wrists won't take a lot of concussive action, so I needed chunks that were ready to go and could function immediately as as steps - flat, thick, but not too deep. And, capable of forming a turning alignment, a switch-back of fairly sharp degree.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RZZHiWebdld69k4GVW3-xE4M227T1TlSksM7FGBkMhxPR1kIraXuf8K8w6sXOXqT3qemNF7FdYjgB5GdLarE7ky1RQXpSqSEyCU-Roj1DEnT8oFqeRc7hyphenhyphen3ioQLW4L14RkrMnB48Py6x/s1600/DSC_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RZZHiWebdld69k4GVW3-xE4M227T1TlSksM7FGBkMhxPR1kIraXuf8K8w6sXOXqT3qemNF7FdYjgB5GdLarE7ky1RQXpSqSEyCU-Roj1DEnT8oFqeRc7hyphenhyphen3ioQLW4L14RkrMnB48Py6x/s640/DSC_0099.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Jockeying a candidate slab into position to function as a step</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The corner to be turned was essentially a full ninety degrees, on a sharper than ideal gradient, and tucked around a gigantic corner stone. Turning the steps would allow the path to access a landing at level, thus taming some of the sharpness of the rise. I calculated roughly four eight-inch steps (not an ideal rising height, but still climable) needed adding to the existing slabs. What follows is a photo-story of the choosing and placing of these steps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhmJd-WDDUMTyxKFVwW5nw5FeqpspUXgsj5pWEwXZrYXb8cjURZ3WhRm2uLCZgKcAWQJfKS64rRojxtNhwsdpGXqQ0yYRwMR3bXoC7_27xhPRQaE_cjaalT5RcNvM-9RLJ7Rls14PUGzN/s1600/DSC_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhmJd-WDDUMTyxKFVwW5nw5FeqpspUXgsj5pWEwXZrYXb8cjURZ3WhRm2uLCZgKcAWQJfKS64rRojxtNhwsdpGXqQ0yYRwMR3bXoC7_27xhPRQaE_cjaalT5RcNvM-9RLJ7Rls14PUGzN/s640/DSC_0106.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To state the obvious, you begin by adding to the last completed step. You build upwards, so each step rests on or is tucked in behind the previous one. So this entailed excavating a pocket in which the first stone would sit. After a lot of inspecting of possibilities, I trundled a candidate stone down to the site, measured it in situ and then transferred its shape roughly to a pocket excavated in the shale. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Third step placed into the run up to the landing</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9a5-Ps4XfFmLVp7CAxOzWRxAWbA-ZrLBZAaQLheU_ytfw0ERKy5F1SRuT4dxTqsh8JuGZM5I2g96okL63eAxMKs75ut4d-gUezRVq_x9IQgu-8zMTtim03dEdhGRbkhS13BvgYOa9NEj/s1600/DSC_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9a5-Ps4XfFmLVp7CAxOzWRxAWbA-ZrLBZAaQLheU_ytfw0ERKy5F1SRuT4dxTqsh8JuGZM5I2g96okL63eAxMKs75ut4d-gUezRVq_x9IQgu-8zMTtim03dEdhGRbkhS13BvgYOa9NEj/s640/DSC_0113.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Four steps added in all, to make ascent safer</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The next shot shows the abutments evolving and a threshold stone set in place for orientation towards the landing. This process will go on for a while, indeed there's still an evolution of the edges of the steps. I've been exploring the addition of tumbled granites, random chunks of granitic rock smoothed off by glacial action. I don't feel that I'm at the end of that piece just yet, adjustment is ongoing. I feel the need to continue reworking the slope side of the path, as the retention there feels a bit awkward still.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are a couple of shots of how it's looking these days, as vegetation and rock collections evolve.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh974JLXfZe2y_p4PMTXp0P9qmUPg0e4IrYRVquT04XFuSW49G93vYUcqIgHVtyKIbXCsMaHbzZPetew5pX-bsWDQFeKMee32VcwLCzeQu34NJKn2GD1l06L0yvWVumHPMwkTPnyZE6rjmP/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh974JLXfZe2y_p4PMTXp0P9qmUPg0e4IrYRVquT04XFuSW49G93vYUcqIgHVtyKIbXCsMaHbzZPetew5pX-bsWDQFeKMee32VcwLCzeQu34NJKn2GD1l06L0yvWVumHPMwkTPnyZE6rjmP/s640/DSC_0030.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<br />David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-62067526739053209692017-11-12T09:49:00.000-08:002017-11-12T09:49:46.668-08:00Finding Form (2)<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>October 2017</i> A couple of sunny afternoons have gone into the pad since I last posted. It may not be obvious from the pictures, but some more initial layout has happened, and I've started refining that first layout en route to mortaring in. Refining essentially means tightening things up, making sure the edges of adjacent stones echo each other, and swapping out any problem pieces. I feel blessed to have had weather warm enough to work in shorts and a tee, despite it being well into fall and cold enough to have lit a fire the night before. Leaves are falling abundantly now, maples in this case. Apple harvesting continues apace across the Penders, now tapering off into the later varieties. But I'm focussed here on pad at the back of our place, engulfed in a fabulous ambience for a day of laying out stone.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Tightening a layout is finicky work, often involving carefully removing knobs of stone to realize a more sympathetic shape. I use an old election sign from my municipal politics days as a kneeling pad, so I can keep close to the material without discomfort. I remove any pieces I need to modify to a makeshift banker (just loose gravel dust heaped up) so there's some cushioning of my chisel's impacts, which helps to avoid unwanted breaks along hidden faults. This being sandstone, it's easy enough to break a solid piece into bits inadvertently, and then be faced with having to fill in an irregular void. The next shot shows a section after some snugging up of the material. Note the slight wandering movement introduced into the pad's edge to take it off rigid square.</span></span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> This layout has been tightened up and the garden edge's gently curving alignment emphasized</b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What a skookum place to do stonework, smack dab in the scenery, with fall light and an overall ambience of forest edge. It's just a neat place to be engaged in doing this sort of work. Patience is required because the material is stone, a resistant medium that can be challenging to coax into the relationships you want. I was particularly concerned here to keep that crosswise flow going, so redid some sections on the right side of pad that were a bit notional. The left hand edge was good from the start, because I laid it out as a piece.</span></span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The left edge wanders agreeably, capturing a bit of motion, but the overall flow is crosswise</span></b></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I kept myself at it for a good five hours, which afforded a sense of progress, albeit modest because this is slow work. It was great to get a little time with it in later afternoon too, after a nice warm tub to ease the aches from bending so much, at a time when the light was especially mellow with autumnal tints. It's satisfying as the maker to be able to note the signs of progress. I'm starting to feel a sense of expectation around this project, getting more committed to seeing it through, more keen about my next chance to advance it. It's a bit of a crap-shoot there, because my time comes in weekend-long increments and only now and then. Weather can readily confound you at this time of year, turning foul just when you finally have time for the work. But this particular weekend, near the end of October, the weather remained superb.</span></span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Looking very good in late afternoon fall sunshine after a day of tweaking the layout</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I mentioned working in the fall light, with its golden quality, a facet that's manifest in the yellow leaves of big leaf maple.</span></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8vR9JylEhEUd7V5nGncUp8DuIHGzm3EqMGWImd-vDJv0_IYtLrVXgOWGnhj691PJLpQRXpOgLikj3Me5gHd-jCs9MV4msRQnfzgA8BVU5Q2K1p9sXVkRjzcCnkaXpCg6gC2gc2l1ujWa/s1600/DSC_0011+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8vR9JylEhEUd7V5nGncUp8DuIHGzm3EqMGWImd-vDJv0_IYtLrVXgOWGnhj691PJLpQRXpOgLikj3Me5gHd-jCs9MV4msRQnfzgA8BVU5Q2K1p9sXVkRjzcCnkaXpCg6gC2gc2l1ujWa/s640/DSC_0011+%25281%2529.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Back at the time I noticed and began retrieving off-cuts for future paving, I did a quick layout on the a sheet of plywood to get a sense of what this jumble of bits might look like worked into a unity. I was immediately convinced it was worth the effort to retrieve the material and that something worthy could be made of it.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3tgRfvWzdy0Z3_-LbNViH4SHF3XxEpRQpwCzypcwGcz2Axy7_nVeurxEfKriftKC-dRlxI3-Ibmna83PK6alMOb3zNCYgNi_Zb9y3i4Q7AJbsrGr0_tLWZ_e19UbzN9DHU8HLtzuoOjx/s1600/July08+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3tgRfvWzdy0Z3_-LbNViH4SHF3XxEpRQpwCzypcwGcz2Axy7_nVeurxEfKriftKC-dRlxI3-Ibmna83PK6alMOb3zNCYgNi_Zb9y3i4Q7AJbsrGr0_tLWZ_e19UbzN9DHU8HLtzuoOjx/s640/July08+020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A quick and dirty arrangement just to get a sense of how the material might work as a whole</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Later on, I took it a step further, beginning a layout on the notorious pad, again to see what it might look like. This in situ attempt sensitized me to the potential for a directional flow across the pad.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKl_8zxcyNXzaeLp7evDWeFeO_zTZZ5NR7v2q0TMQwWRlDpFJeOT3zRlDeQPPpQlZpMTCLoegqXhN8NB_7-x4Kr0erO-KMGkDDENTVoIMO2E_jip7XVkdcLdwLrjXHT8JND4q_dX2R0Q0/s1600/Lana+plus+014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKl_8zxcyNXzaeLp7evDWeFeO_zTZZ5NR7v2q0TMQwWRlDpFJeOT3zRlDeQPPpQlZpMTCLoegqXhN8NB_7-x4Kr0erO-KMGkDDENTVoIMO2E_jip7XVkdcLdwLrjXHT8JND4q_dX2R0Q0/s640/Lana+plus+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It was fun playing around in an uncommitted way with my stone trove</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was around this time that we were drawing the conclusion that our old cottage in fact needed a substantial rebuild. The premise for setting the stone out (embellishing what was already in place) had been overtaken by the much larger choice to put a proper foundation under the existing structure. The layout above and below was done quite casually, really more for practice and to see how quantities would play out. It allowed me to draw some useful conclusions (start at the edges and work across, not inside and working outwards). Nonetheless, I enjoyed the look, and it did help me draw some conclusions for the next attempt, some while after the construction and landscaping work were finally done. I didn't realize then it would be years before I finally got around to tackling it in earnest. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rbsGJNcOUlV1YprHt5PmjUZzQKVeoEBpBw8f5qzJ_BUsRcsWfbqtBuQnFcdg5TjY-ErjzGp12f9I9gB6ine_uJkcs1Rcn5oUxWgMNdaOJeMEfUmghjfMXnZXkIwRT6bVC_T3rsd5QVqC/s1600/Pictorialist+Picks+2009+138.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rbsGJNcOUlV1YprHt5PmjUZzQKVeoEBpBw8f5qzJ_BUsRcsWfbqtBuQnFcdg5TjY-ErjzGp12f9I9gB6ine_uJkcs1Rcn5oUxWgMNdaOJeMEfUmghjfMXnZXkIwRT6bVC_T3rsd5QVqC/s640/Pictorialist+Picks+2009+138.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Vertical and horizontal placements promiscuously arranged in a crazy paving way</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The stone had to be repiled and placed out of harm's way for the duration of the construction, and the subsequent landscaping using rock retaining walls. It was an intrusive process, as the picture below indicates. Now it's time at long last to bring that back patio into full service. Did I mention I'm getting excited?</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNavNYntgn0hS3atG6BIV6xvu8_MrHSH2_r9SdzfSzwk6GBfLcgjWF_HBBu5F0UmXOV_vAfmds3XBMC8aDeC7yindux8wZfeWtse5FHOXRYFKOHpHO6_OeiyOCfGrZNDtilVIvcd10504/s1600/Pender+Construction+Begins+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNavNYntgn0hS3atG6BIV6xvu8_MrHSH2_r9SdzfSzwk6GBfLcgjWF_HBBu5F0UmXOV_vAfmds3XBMC8aDeC7yindux8wZfeWtse5FHOXRYFKOHpHO6_OeiyOCfGrZNDtilVIvcd10504/s640/Pender+Construction+Begins+072.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Construction creates chaos first, then draws order out of it</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>The work site with preliminary shoring up of the edge, surfacing stacked on a pallet</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i>September 2017:</i></b> A heap of surfacing stone stored on a pallet for years awaited the day the mason would finally get round to the task. Eventually, he did. The original idea was to use the flat pieces, three quarters to an inch and a half thick, to resurface an angular concrete patio pad to dress it more presentably. Abruptly defined edges would be softened, sketchy retaining stabilized and thickened for better support, finished sides of weathered bedrock would help it fit in. My overriding interest was to discern how to link the pad to its surroundings by making it seem to actually rise from bedrock, rather than just plunked down there. To be kind, the slab was both visually intrusive and perched carelessly on hastily made prism of rock waste, construction debris and soil (see next pic). The design was all utility, zero beauty - and even the utility was sketchy. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Over a winter I put energy into shoring up the pad's edges while trying to create a toe for the rather steep bedrock diving beneath it. All the while I was considering how best to obtain a more natural integration of structure with the rock outcrops beneath it. The plan was for the pad to accommodate circumnavigation of the building, as well as access from a new back door to the cottage. Due to its height, this meant it would need to be fitted with steps-up from adjacent walkways. The pad originally was a sort of promontory rather detached from its immediate surroundings, sitting higher than you would have made it if your goal had been to fit it into its context. Whoever built it was happily oblivious of these considerations, so his un-ideal placement is now just our datum, from which we are working to conjure the missing sense of integration. Building up the sides with paths and steps incised as naturally as possible is necessary to realize the pad's full potential. Check out the original crudeness of its edges and eroding base in the photo below, taken in January 2014. Working up shoring at the base of a slope is challenging, because there really wasn't a bench to work from. Much of this shoring would be covered in when rock retaining walls were placed along the west edge, in 2015.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The pad was originally placed on a relatively loose heap of rock, building waste and soil</span></span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A lot of time went into building a pad supporting toe of slope</span></span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>All of which got covered over when the landscape was retained to create an edge for the house</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shoring up the edges and just beginning to consider how steps might run up to the pad</span></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwXZxMrPu-8wfnp3ZDlsiDWgxbHn1gEpK757Gvb0LIymHuz3QFxXISw3EsENKzecSZnvjDUSIKQceViQ2ibuJcGoPrh8mjMkAaTrm8mK0bcAqRB20QsrLsAeu9a8U0EbnPiaU4We2WH8q/s1600/various+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwXZxMrPu-8wfnp3ZDlsiDWgxbHn1gEpK757Gvb0LIymHuz3QFxXISw3EsENKzecSZnvjDUSIKQceViQ2ibuJcGoPrh8mjMkAaTrm8mK0bcAqRB20QsrLsAeu9a8U0EbnPiaU4We2WH8q/s640/various+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My surfacing stone was assembled from off-cuts and left-overs cadged from my brother-in-law's nearby patio project, some of it headed for road base when I rescued it. There were also some larger intact pieces that were unused which my generous BIL gifted me, and I've added a few chunks of local sandstone that are consistent with the colour mix. I think I will have enough for the surfacing job, though probably just barely - a challenge will be not winding up with a collection of least attractive pieces around the last portion done. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Most
of it is some sort of slate material, in attractive blues, greys and greens, with
a few orangy streaks to animate the mix. As</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> you'll see there's considerable irregularity to the pieces, so
turning them into a unity is like sorting out a jigsaw puzzle in stone.
In English garden parlance this is known as 'crazy
paving', in Japanese tradition it's known as 'stone carpet'. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Crazy paving in English terms, stone carpet in Japanese garden design</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I
have taken forever to get going on this job, as my attention has been focused
elsewhere on building a linked series of paths and patios around the
house. A lot of preliminary work went into securing and sealing the material the pad sits on, and
beginning to elaborate a set of steps connecting to a finished pathway. I'm the kind of stoner who likes to see what he's making before he commits to mortaring it together, so there's been lots of layout going on and not much mortaring. I guess I needed to see how the sides of the pad could be evolved before tackling resurfacing. But recently I resolved it was time to get moving, and then
finally a solo weekend with more temperate fall weather came along and brought the right mood, so I finally began tackling the beast.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFezffwsf-kUx_bVy_I4mHqZt5FzozQzJTtEu2rxIk738EbCxyPoNNaJQjdb9Adzl6CM6Cq7PLx7HLzJUz8BTjjniPsg9-VrPj_UFcimtLukCQpeaFWcvCk8DbNmvwJhzZCLHVRbu9ziZF/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFezffwsf-kUx_bVy_I4mHqZt5FzozQzJTtEu2rxIk738EbCxyPoNNaJQjdb9Adzl6CM6Cq7PLx7HLzJUz8BTjjniPsg9-VrPj_UFcimtLukCQpeaFWcvCk8DbNmvwJhzZCLHVRbu9ziZF/s640/DSC_0004.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Looking westwards across the pad, very beginnings of an edge treatment on the north side</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I began by roughly sorting my heap of stored materials into a half dozen groupings based on shape and size, and whether they did or didn't need trimming. This was a practical necessity and it allowed me to see enough clear space to begin a layout. I wanted to be able start at the west end, furthest from the house, and I wanted to introduce some modest movement into the outside edge to steer it off the straight lines currently modelled. The general idea was to let my imagination play with the stone, following a precept of achieving a sense of flow across the pad that would reflect the actual path of energy moving over it. Here, above a bay sitting across from Saltspring Island, the wind often blows out of the southwest, the channel's waves tend to roll into the bay in the same plane (ferry wash included), and sunlight also traces a similar path as it crosses the sky. Reflecting this movement of energy in the placing of stones means keeping them more horizontal than vertical across the patio. The next pic shows the very beginning of hinting at the lines of force in layout.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0tV7ZapeFAg-GMjgWaMazNbZ2vUQfPlbtf6o5NRURpKsBxCRb6ykUR4eDnvMY7M-aBVJbpQwnasycELx6Dl8UQ_jFRDhiAiWMefcq3g8NgO3cRHjIsZkM3WbXSupaQqeLdVbSbs1owAr/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0tV7ZapeFAg-GMjgWaMazNbZ2vUQfPlbtf6o5NRURpKsBxCRb6ykUR4eDnvMY7M-aBVJbpQwnasycELx6Dl8UQ_jFRDhiAiWMefcq3g8NgO3cRHjIsZkM3WbXSupaQqeLdVbSbs1owAr/s640/DSC_0005.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Stone roughly sorted, notional layout beginning, feeling buoyant about possibilities</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So this is where it all started in earnest, in early September. It's a finicky process to achieve good results, so it's bound to go on for a good while now.</span></span><br />
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David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-59362248000709865732016-01-17T10:03:00.000-08:002017-10-14T16:33:12.112-07:00The fate of Ontario's stone farmhouses: care and repair, or ignore and lose?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A farmhouse that's faring well by being treated to an ongoing stewardship</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Does
anyone actually know how many stone houses still exist across rural
Ontario? I'm familiar with a few clusters in Waterloo and its surrounding counties, but my awareness is solely from observation. And I can't locate anything that looks like a comprehensive inventory of these historic buildings, which are sprinkled across swaths of southern Ontario. There's certainly an active real estate market in restored stone buildings, at least for those in and around villages if not for those functioning as hubs of working farmsteads. But it doesn't appear that anyone responsible for heritage provincially has yet troubled to map the survivors and their existing state of repair. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_K-WmFGnOOE9ecRMv5zv2aK1k2oh9krlCVZk75xcZ7MOoB4IjY_FDAXrnpgCU1izGYJOO2yMEvq0U2VhsE0ksKNiwctEk8cmKngNw_g2SESpUovXTVg7PHtrsI2WX_vYe7SY-mtK24mF/s1600/Xmas+2013+297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_K-WmFGnOOE9ecRMv5zv2aK1k2oh9krlCVZk75xcZ7MOoB4IjY_FDAXrnpgCU1izGYJOO2yMEvq0U2VhsE0ksKNiwctEk8cmKngNw_g2SESpUovXTVg7PHtrsI2WX_vYe7SY-mtK24mF/s320/Xmas+2013+297.jpg" width="212" /></a>There really ought to be an inventory of these buildings, as they
are treasured landmarks and the product of craft skills long gone from our midst. They were mainly built in the mid-nineteenth century by German and Scottish immigrants, before railroads made brick readily available. The stones that surfaced while the settlers broke and tilled new fields furnished the supply of raw materials to make them. But if an inventory of these handmade structures exists,
it's not readily available to researchers. Nor have I found signs of a program to support new owners who are willing to tackle their repair, which would help ensure the way they're handled stays consistent with original
intent. And while this hasn't stopped many an owner from doing a bang-up job of repairing a neglected and aging building, much more could be done to enable others to take on a stone building. As in, sourcing the skills needed for heritage-quality work, and making them more readily accessible to those wanting to breathe new life into intriguing buildings. Such a program would make it more likely that people lacking skills themselves could feel more confident in tackling repair of a heritage building, which can be a daunting prospect. And, it would serve to steer them away from coarse remodeling errors by coaching respect for their home's inherent values.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Realistically, all old stone buildings are in need of continuing attention, and how and when that attention is given significantly affects their health and appearance. Some buildings are clearly faring well, as in the picture below, where wooden replacement components seamlessly dovetail with originals and repointed mortar joints are restored carefully and artistically. Check out the original stone chimneys on this beauty, one of the features most frequently subject to adulteration!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdl79FFKlo9A0VVLkmGa8DFWMYo0_3WzGppeWaLFb6qlt8UWr_Tb7-St_R4MT5izziqGLg5krYcLOAvQ7k_3kDw6pmBbENuYnnA7TjVYiOn36ZJ2KkzA3wnF6IGl-mAV63Sel-o_4D-HV/s1600/DSC_0301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdl79FFKlo9A0VVLkmGa8DFWMYo0_3WzGppeWaLFb6qlt8UWr_Tb7-St_R4MT5izziqGLg5krYcLOAvQ7k_3kDw6pmBbENuYnnA7TjVYiOn36ZJ2KkzA3wnF6IGl-mAV63Sel-o_4D-HV/s640/DSC_0301.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carefully and thoughtfully attended to, this stone farmhouse is a stunner!</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other buildings, while showing no manifest signs of neglect, haven't been given the sort of loving attention that anticipates needs and keeps appearances spruce and smart. Here there may be a contradiction at work, given the preoccupation of modern farming with making profit from industrial agriculture (which can easily </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99p8RLF1ritLftAjEq1AMk-0Zr5EXcCa6rNqSga7fsIhpYLh5xV84ffZR6wsJ6kHaLAxZ50okcbpPd_KljC2EMClNMAwAcmlC4I_6EmyfN7KgMZobbvXHUOBuH10i4SdR6PM8Zln57LSz/s1600/Xmas+2013+291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99p8RLF1ritLftAjEq1AMk-0Zr5EXcCa6rNqSga7fsIhpYLh5xV84ffZR6wsJ6kHaLAxZ50okcbpPd_KljC2EMClNMAwAcmlC4I_6EmyfN7KgMZobbvXHUOBuH10i4SdR6PM8Zln57LSz/s320/Xmas+2013+291.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sever the link with the need for a domestic farmstead, as it no longer requires occupation of the land) and an older agricultural lifestyle that included a domicile that was both comfortable and handsome to support the large family working the farm. While the house below hasn't been dressed up, it appears to be maintained in good repair and still in daily use as a farm hub.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsWOjZSd-TbwL87lwTS6pC0wpXLhfS-YzelsUZy3lK8xM3lmhG8LISe7uHR0Jn9dL07PGeA0DmCYFO5lRGYYKUyI6t0Aet2T2AMvL133jrYDkFPktH922Daneb_l7YAmBrHTTXvAxJian/s1600/DSC_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsWOjZSd-TbwL87lwTS6pC0wpXLhfS-YzelsUZy3lK8xM3lmhG8LISe7uHR0Jn9dL07PGeA0DmCYFO5lRGYYKUyI6t0Aet2T2AMvL133jrYDkFPktH922Daneb_l7YAmBrHTTXvAxJian/s640/DSC_0296.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Regular coursing suggests Scottish stone masonry techniques, using split granite boulders</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A heritage inventory and support program that includes a registry of skilled craftsmen for homeowner referral would go a long way towards stewarding these buildings into the future. They comprise a significant piece of our collective heritage, reflecting a central Canadian history of immigrant building skills blending with local materials to create uniquely regional forms. The lack of such a program makes it more likely that the use of incompatible materials will result in unsympathetic additions, marring originals, and the gradual loss of historic detailing when modest wooden components are replaced by off-the-rack lumber. Also more likely is that wooden components will tend to be exchanged for cheaper metal or plastic fittings. Worst of all, in the case of stone masonry skills, more likely that lack of craft knowledge will effect a modernizing blurring of invaluable historic details, detracting from the aesthetic impact of the structure in its landscape setting. Some of these land-building placements, as below perched on a rise, are really quite dramatic.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1EWQ2H3HlpQNfi6P7Jku3px7fVyHLoQB5ROzYd5Pm-nA2_A9ZoK6KWfALBn79oyLGSxoTcjueG64gOX8POUa867ARU21RT4VUZNrYHzcU_oQ6HMKrvBPbapjGra0rt7cMe5D0_DPY0Uv/s1600/DSC_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1EWQ2H3HlpQNfi6P7Jku3px7fVyHLoQB5ROzYd5Pm-nA2_A9ZoK6KWfALBn79oyLGSxoTcjueG64gOX8POUa867ARU21RT4VUZNrYHzcU_oQ6HMKrvBPbapjGra0rt7cMe5D0_DPY0Uv/s640/DSC_0289.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Graceful hip-roofed front porch gives a hint of elegance to this active farm home</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some buildings have been added on to with conscious sympathy, achieving a quiet compatibility with the original. However, it's just as possible that without the requisite design sensitivities brought to bear, some ungainly excrescence winds up plopped down alongside a worthy structure. That act needlessly diminishes heritage values. It can be avoided by making good practice available, both as example and as networks of essential skills, to prospective restorers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The building pictured below illustrates elements of good and poor practice in repair. While it has recently been allowed to fall into disuse and disrepair, it was both added to and partially repaired/renewed at points during its long history. The wooden addition shown below is architecturally in sync with the original structure (consistent gable angles and massing), if somewhat shabbily finished in duroid shingles, and lacking adequate windows for the space enclosed. Overall though, it is honest enough work and could easily be pitched up with appropriate replacement siding and more wood-framed windows. The front porch to the right, however, is clearly a replacement for the original, effecting a loss of historic detailing (set flush with the stone wall, for example) and bizarrely opting for vertically placed boards that create a pointless conflict with the horizontal lines of the main structure. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q4v1cC5hZrdgcUOeLHdwL32M9knyim-oOWou54_8cB-5t5lLG3hdhWdysff_-xO7fVR_xsraHT0GP68mcDDX5bI7rFyZJuRmExBffwpG0sTQQ0OqlguyPw-wDb8agLLxKDOUTlW_EucR/s1600/DSC_0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q4v1cC5hZrdgcUOeLHdwL32M9knyim-oOWou54_8cB-5t5lLG3hdhWdysff_-xO7fVR_xsraHT0GP68mcDDX5bI7rFyZJuRmExBffwpG0sTQQ0OqlguyPw-wDb8agLLxKDOUTlW_EucR/s640/DSC_0252.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Elements of poor practice on this disused building: awkward repair work on the chimney</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This house appears to now be abandoned, while the ample farmland around it remains in industrial crop use (ownership severed from occupancy). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMYmEmCK_bbN-3Gx0PmpYcGf5TS78JQzcNxg6vi7Dtvy6zP6VzrsvZdmA1-SS28LYg4nFTiRMUgx6AUpLuTg4lBgfp7ou90gor2TM_ho0GfGAkg0RrgZ31DNcLmU4zV0MyIO_vFDD6dFG/s1600/DSC_0269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMYmEmCK_bbN-3Gx0PmpYcGf5TS78JQzcNxg6vi7Dtvy6zP6VzrsvZdmA1-SS28LYg4nFTiRMUgx6AUpLuTg4lBgfp7ou90gor2TM_ho0GfGAkg0RrgZ31DNcLmU4zV0MyIO_vFDD6dFG/s320/DSC_0269.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rear wing is almost certainly a later addition, a more utilitarian space capture prevailing over detailing. The front porch replacement on the stone structure adds metal components that eliminate the delicate details of the cornice return, which add a graceful touch to the weight of a stone building and with which the porch should be compatible. There is often a temptation to move away from crafted wood, because it's expensive and takes skill to work properly. However, this is usually a mistake on a heritage site where stone and modest wood fittings are the original materials.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqGxypV4fiEWaA36C0XONLN0_TjZoZgez6ZFr4h8PA3ujipCw4Gx-s9m19pxTsyVx9cufoeDSmouuPFYMZ4O42QwFG-nM7SPjkzPkq3QiAqWyLYl8RRJrkx-VfRFlRB4wVvNNpf_uPgGa/s1600/DSC_0298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqGxypV4fiEWaA36C0XONLN0_TjZoZgez6ZFr4h8PA3ujipCw4Gx-s9m19pxTsyVx9cufoeDSmouuPFYMZ4O42QwFG-nM7SPjkzPkq3QiAqWyLYl8RRJrkx-VfRFlRB4wVvNNpf_uPgGa/s640/DSC_0298.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This structure has been carefully updated, but with some loss of historic detail ( eg brick chimney)</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The structure above has also been extended at the back, possibly in two phases. The stonework in the nearest extension appears consistent with the original building, but its roofline seems shallower than the farmhouse roof and this suggests it may be more modern. This minor discontinuity is carried on into the second extension. Finally, the bit at the very left is definitely modern work, shown by a stepped back roof line and vertical siding that introduce a rancher-like discordance into the otherwise nineteenth century scene. Not terrible, and not in rank conflict with the original building, but demonstrating a certain stubborn refusal to be closely guided by original design choices. However, the materials used here appear worthy, and pains clearly have been taken to blend the new stone work with the original (bravo!). The red brick chimney, while a nice design choice in its own right, is unlikely to be original.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5TkWJZvnteIbE8oQHdlVMPyUgesrwFxaWxNtervD-_B5_ErxHmjiHHkEEejvt3wYEMn4oddiVpMESaxftr7vbJw107f2NfSZ9zjjBKcZU9cThHHgGb8wEWd32yS20GiW4-f6QT4ow6xj/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5TkWJZvnteIbE8oQHdlVMPyUgesrwFxaWxNtervD-_B5_ErxHmjiHHkEEejvt3wYEMn4oddiVpMESaxftr7vbJw107f2NfSZ9zjjBKcZU9cThHHgGb8wEWd32yS20GiW4-f6QT4ow6xj/s640/DSC_0265.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Even in disuse, the beauty and solidity of the original stone masonry remain intact</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To return to our now abandoned farmstead: this is a structure that has been unevenly cared for over the many decades of its life. Likely it was repointed along its street facade before eventually being allowed to fall into disrepair and ultimately being abandoned as a residence. Look at the white tracery lines over the mortared seams (above), which serves to reduce the weight of the mortar and lends a flowing regularity to the rustic stone coursing. This is likely more contemporary work than original, yet still compatible with the inherent stone values. The main building itself remains rescuable to this point (no dilapidation), although the wooden end of it may be too moldy and deteriorated by now to make the juice worth the squeeze. The original window and door frames are also suffering from long exposure to the elements without being sealed, so they too may have to be replaced. If so, this should be done in exact replication of the originals, to avoid the cheapening effect of false mullion bars coupled with indignity of thin metal frames. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpVGlyMW4uxBV_I_djvYxk6vIevwFvi4Sjv3QdOVLgQbTXMPmRTqUge-d7RWdwQG4G0ipw6QWmWZagM8UECaqiJ1maPJt7WteMOaFG3VYhzc-nu2W2yYyT1cmjnV62hfAx2SPE6YpjPdC/s1600/DSC_0268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpVGlyMW4uxBV_I_djvYxk6vIevwFvi4Sjv3QdOVLgQbTXMPmRTqUge-d7RWdwQG4G0ipw6QWmWZagM8UECaqiJ1maPJt7WteMOaFG3VYhzc-nu2W2yYyT1cmjnV62hfAx2SPE6YpjPdC/s640/DSC_0268.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It would take investment to return this building to its original stature, but well worth it</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Above, a blend of both good and bad work: stone work in pretty good condition, original wooden soffits with the classic gable return intact (but sans moldings on the new wood on the right), with an earlier stone chimney rebuilt in discordant red brick finished with a modern concrete cap. And yet, the ensemble remains imposing and worthy of rescue despite some years of neglect and disuse.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohiRviiWmbTUnZKLQlnv18nUKeiY7XiP5sE2rZTY_WM20xDfVVPjnfGtbk9J29qn69XrIRjoxKXqIkgVtW6k7R9y5Bj-aD2PiM3akvMB24cvFb4ukEIspK1D-gJI4Cgk2MlWXsTE9fTMi/s1600/DSC_0266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohiRviiWmbTUnZKLQlnv18nUKeiY7XiP5sE2rZTY_WM20xDfVVPjnfGtbk9J29qn69XrIRjoxKXqIkgVtW6k7R9y5Bj-aD2PiM3akvMB24cvFb4ukEIspK1D-gJI4Cgk2MlWXsTE9fTMi/s640/DSC_0266.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A revealing look at the backside, which has received less care and attention</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The far side of the same structure reveals signs of the house's checkered fortunes over as much as 150 years: at one time the side wall behind and beneath the porch was plastered over and painted; while plastering of granite boulder walls is not uncommon on barn foundations, houses typically displayed their split-granite boulders prominently and proudly. These were the highpoint of Scottish stone masonry skills, splitting glacially transported granite boulders to reveal an array of colours resistant to weathering effects. Also apparent here is that while the street facade was given a facelift at some point (see inset),</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> the rear wall was left in its original state and thus</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8owPYWA4Bcgx-MSOP3VrT8UMzQ06QuWlLObdTdW4lfw_K1-huQu_kMX_2j3knbQeulnPjs9iSj9yRY6WhkORlfGHWUQT5LlaFQ32QtZEFWZyb4ASVGw8JEqOzm468LBmdIRE6geVHthAs/s1600/DSC_0261.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8owPYWA4Bcgx-MSOP3VrT8UMzQ06QuWlLObdTdW4lfw_K1-huQu_kMX_2j3knbQeulnPjs9iSj9yRY6WhkORlfGHWUQT5LlaFQ32QtZEFWZyb4ASVGw8JEqOzm468LBmdIRE6geVHthAs/s320/DSC_0261.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">appears more rustic and irregular, and likely more true to the original look (see above). Finally, look closely at the foundation beneath the porch, which appears discontinuous in finishing with that of the main building. It has been repointed (or partially cemented over) in a slap-dash manner, in contrast to the obvious care taken on the main wall. The replacement porch is also coming apart at the soffit, likely due to ice travelling down the shallow roof and tearing the guttering off. And the classic gable return on the right has come off and simply gone unreplaced.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Solid barn with once plastered wall with granite coursing now fully exposed</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm obviously advancing a preservationist argument for these comely stone structures. Probably in some older Ontario villages and towns, where there is perhaps deeper awareness of the past's value and presence as architecture, there's some organized effort to keep these stone buildings around. But given the significance of hand-wrought structures of this kind, there really should be regional inventories of the buildings, a registry of appropriate carpentry, joinery and masonry craftsmen to work on them, and modest financial support for repair and restoration where buildings have been inappropriately remodeled or let fall into disrepair. The existence of such a program would help raise awareness of these unique entities, and in turn aid in securing them into the future. Modern industrial farming can easily jeopardize this outcome by severing occupancy from ownership of farmland, which is happening on an expanding scale. if the original stone building is viewed as having low or no capital value (which assessment practices would reinforce), the opportunity cost of letting it fall down is low, which makes it more likely. This is a challenge that needs to be grappled with, to make it more likely that new hands will tackle the challenges. Leaving things as they are now invites a disconnect from stewardship of the buildings. The first result is disrepair, the second disuse, then finally dereliction bringing, as below, dilapidation and ruin.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Industrial farming continues, but the old stone farmstead is finished</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you want to learn more about Ontario's stone farm buildings and enjoy some excellent eye candy, check out my earlier post at:</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://availablematerials.blogspot.ca/2014/01/ontarios-stone-farmhouses.html" target="_blank">http://availablematerials.blogspot.ca/2014/01/ontarios-stone-farmhouses.html</a><br />
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David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-63511002502036461182015-11-22T11:58:00.000-08:002016-09-29T21:03:36.546-07:00Out of hand: a sandstone path and steps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>'The obstacle is the path'</b> <i>Zen proverb</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Obstacles come with the act of path-making, their resolution often defining finished look and feel. I guess it’s possible to conceive of making a path without<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>facing any obstacles, but I have yet to have that experience. For me, as an amateur, obstacles abound, external and internal, and the only way forward is to embrace them and sear<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ch<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> for</span></span> ways around or through. Some are of the simple kind that can be removed with mechanical action and cost only time, like striking high points off bedrock with a chisel; while others - say a certain arbutus tree that's staying where it grew despite <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a</span> perplexing placement - have just to be gone around and, to that extent, allowed to shape the outcome. I have found that not
resisting complications (mental resistance spawns frustration and arbitrary choices, like arboricide in the case of that arbutus) but instead turning the mind towards them in an open manner, is eventually fruitful of solutions. And I've realized that the indirect route to an outcome not infrequently reveals entirely new possibilities. So faced with any particular obstacle, I tend to press ahead slowly, seeing<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>what presents itself along the way<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and </span>inviting intuition to offer up its leads. I have now had enough experience with this indirect method of work<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> that</span> I <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">am able to </span>envisage new work <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">entirely</span> as opportunity - which is exciting and stimulating - despite the inevitable difficulties needing resolution, in ways as yet unclear. Those challenges may seem daunting at
the outset of a job when none has been successfully<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> t</span>ackled yet - especially when the paver is after something more aesthetic than simple engineering. But I have a certain confidence, shored now by sufficient experience, that I will eventually uncover a solution that's serviceable, and if I'm creative in the way I go about finding this, it will add some beauty too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While a finished path may appear as simplicity itself, the way towards this unity of finished work comes<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>by facing and resolving sequences of complex choices. And doing it while maintaining a balance of utility and appearance. My advice, if you are attempting one of these, is just to take your time, be methodical but open to creative turns, and don't force the issue - let things unfold at their own pace. Just <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">p</span>lug along giving the unit of work however much time it's going to take to get it right. At least, that's what I try to do.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">New work offers the path maker a chance to create a fresh synthesis of materials that achieves both<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>utility and appearance - one that in my aspiration invites the eyes and directs the feet of those using this path to get around. A path that succeeds in conveying sensory impressions at these levels actively shapes the way<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>people experience moving through these spaces, how the views are framed and from where. Finding the final mix of materials that makes for such an appealing finished product is a creative and open-ended process, one that can't be rushed or forced; rather, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">this process</span> must be patiently cultivated and, at points, even endured a<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">s </span>an extended state of uncertainty while the search for ideas that meet aesthetic tests continues<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span>. I find these latter define themselves more and more clearly as the job progresses, resulting in<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>a growing intuitive sense of how to put the available materials together to particular effect.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Engineering of the useful aspects of a path (its fitness for purpose and resistance to wear) can easily conflict with achieving an aesthetically pleasing outcome - an objective placing its own obscure demands on a job. My inclination is to find ways to combine order and rusticity so they ultimately feel like a unified whole - so the eye can't really tell where the one begins and the other leaves off. And I really<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>want whatever it is I make to feel as though it truly belongs where it is, that it fits into its surroundings respectfully and adds feelings of rightness to the overall sense of place. This transmits to a gardener's<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>eye as a<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">n atmosphere<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> of</span></span> repose, of an underlying harmony of elements.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What follows here is an account of a project in (sometimes very slow) motion that began as a fairly clean slate but with a number of fixed givens: a bench of land of varying width as a base for <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a</span> path, itself created by retaining a steep slope using larger chunks of stone; an existing run of concrete steps rising from the base of that slope to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">intersect the</span> future path; and that inconveniently placed but quite lovely arbutus tree whose curving trunk you can just make out to the right in the picture below.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Surveying the scene post-retention: where to begin?</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The job site itself is part of a family getaway on a southern Gulf Island, recently renewed and expanded. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The</span> wishlist for this place includes creating a sequence of walkways and small patios that wrap around the entire building, perche<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">d</span> on a high rise. This pathway is needed functionally, and the place calls out for a design that fits with its character, which<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is large<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ly<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> one of wood and <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">being set into its landscape</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span>. The specific design challenge here was to contri<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ve a <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">secure </span></span>pathway and steps along a north-facing wall, on a<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>bench sloping from both ends to a low point at the existing concrete steps. By turns, the area available for paving g<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">oes</span> from fairly generous to barely wide enough for a usable, secure pathway.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The materials I chose for this job are irregular chunks of flattish sandstone that come in numerous shapes and sizes, hand-gathered on the property and from surrounding sites. Some show weath<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ering<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> b</span></span>ut many are fresh-split from the method of extraction. There's a rough and undressed quality to these pieces, which I aim to sof<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ten through arra<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ngement but<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> to </span>conserve for <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a rustic effect. </span></span></span>Functionally my approach to design involves piecing these chunks together as though they were a kind of jigsaw puzzle cum crazy quilt, taking them mostly as they come in order to avoid investing much time in modifying their shapes (which is risky work, as this is soft stone that splits <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">unpredict<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ably </span></span>along hidden faults<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> when struck)</span>. I prefer instead to search for natural harmonies of contiguity and association. Once a layout has firmed up, I proceed to fix the stone in place on a bed and with seams of sand-cement mortar. A final operation involves decorative tooling of the outer edge of the filled joints, which is done after the cement base has hardened (more on this later).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My work is amateur in nature, by which I mean<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> only that I </span>am more self-taught enthusiast than trained to the trade, and the work can only unfold in my spare time, weather permitting. To give a measure of the slow pace of progress these limitations impose: the endpoints of this section of path have yet to be fully completed over three years on! They comprise the beginnings <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of</span> the east and west perimeter walkways, which are among my next paving projects, knees willing! It would have been so much simpler to just make forms and pour a concrete path and stairs and have done with it, but <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> am looking to reinf<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">orce the <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">presence of local stone<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and to that extent to diminish or ma<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sk<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the building's </span>concrete foundations</span></span></span></span></span></span>. More <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">c</span>oncrete would look very different, and to my eye appear somewhat<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>incongruous, alongside a house made substantially of local wood. And too, the landscaper in me would have missed out the opportunity to experience making another stone pathway from scratch.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Preliminary work: reinforcing the base of the foundation, sketchy at best</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the end you have to choose a beginning, but here settling on a place to start was delayed while I put significant time into closing<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> up th</span>e base of an older portion of the house's foundation. This partial foundation was built somewhat crudely (hand-made by people more game than skilled) and so was placed directly on top of organic soil, which has meant <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a tendency</span> to wick up moisture and organics during the rainy seasons (<i>note the green-tinged section of foundation in the photo above, indicating the pattern of wicking</i>). Only when this edge was better secured and sealed could work on components of the path actually get under way. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The necessity of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">extending</span> an existing set of concrete steps up to the level of the path-to-be constituted an obvious starting point for the job (<i>see photos below</i>). This was also the low point for the slopes down from <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">both corners</span> of the house, so this piece involved sorting out some engineering: the steps to be added to make the connection to the path had also to retain its base to the correct height, while still allowing for ready drainage through the base <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of path and step so</span> as not to dam water <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">collecting there from do<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">wnspouts</span></span>. There was also<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the </span>complication of the steps up accessing the future path at an oblique angle. For an amateur, these factors presented novel and time-consuming obstacles to be overcome. Once embarked, it seemed to take forever for something to begin visibly to appear. The following shot shows the first presentation or face stones set in place (<i>note the still-moist seam between the concrete path and stone step</i>) which came only after numerous bouts of preparatory work - behind those delightfully weathered stones (<i>picture three below</i>) is a low retaining wall I built first in order to stabilize the path's gravel base. A lot of futzing about went into getting that structure in place, at the right level for the future path, prior to being able to place the first step up from the concrete stairs. Sometimes progress seems elusive while we do endless preparatory work, then suddenly 'poof' a chunk<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>of finished product pops out and we are amazed!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEDTeO3op4RY8rD36EHDZR4UZo8Iid3ZhuFm_idRaFFGxeTcV0PThF7_yLUWV97OX3zZq4kyHype7RvaHY16iR-V24sFcyo17TL_Rfv9s8PLSLhV-6dzd6nEIbB1KFjxoRe8mHbKKdgJC/s1600/Pendered+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEDTeO3op4RY8rD36EHDZR4UZo8Iid3ZhuFm_idRaFFGxeTcV0PThF7_yLUWV97OX3zZq4kyHype7RvaHY16iR-V24sFcyo17TL_Rfv9s8PLSLhV-6dzd6nEIbB1KFjxoRe8mHbKKdgJC/s640/Pendered+045.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">First step cemented in place, with an opening for drainage through the base</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2x5wTE_D8VkaHVD5nCxYEGORGGj5764F0b3U0o_mB4CTzbvQhF9Fsh5gCeKxcw_V4UL9D-ngWO8m_ehBS4GfKMx-VxB1o4cwJZhoqXPqG1Xmn8fXO0g5AAHc96k14EfvlDORuidK56RpG/s1600/Pendered+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2x5wTE_D8VkaHVD5nCxYEGORGGj5764F0b3U0o_mB4CTzbvQhF9Fsh5gCeKxcw_V4UL9D-ngWO8m_ehBS4GfKMx-VxB1o4cwJZhoqXPqG1Xmn8fXO0g5AAHc96k14EfvlDORuidK56RpG/s640/Pendered+047.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Not yet looking quite the very important step it will soon become</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyopfIcXsejKHgP5nQV7djx2S_GpZZFiHhY-G0da2y-y6YRKJMyFFsrIg9wX9TPEvTjUhvdmSqS1BS5h0iOumQ6P9qJM4qdppEVrQbOKiJ_Gfl51uTqD_2UKs2Lko2dz1t7LsK24Z50i1O/s1600/Pendered+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyopfIcXsejKHgP5nQV7djx2S_GpZZFiHhY-G0da2y-y6YRKJMyFFsrIg9wX9TPEvTjUhvdmSqS1BS5h0iOumQ6P9qJM4qdppEVrQbOKiJ_Gfl51uTqD_2UKs2Lko2dz1t7LsK24Z50i1O/s640/Pendered+004.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Arbutus, retaining wall, skewed step angle: complexit<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y</span></b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Above, the step itself completes the retaining wall that allows the building up of the base behind it to a level that will ultimately carry the path properly. Next (<i>picture below</i>) a section that functions as part of the path and a top step. This image shows a very rough layout - for some reason<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> I</span> chose to reverse the ultimate flow of the stone within the path at this threshold, to serve as a visual cue for the idea of 'step-ness'. While generally the stone is laid crosswise to the path's direction, visually slowing its motion, here it's set lengthwise so as to appear as the top step from below. A needless complication it seems to me now, and finicky to boot, but one I evidently felt should be included at the time. It can always be seen as a trope I guess, one that virtually no one except its maker will ever notice I'm sure.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Section to serve as a top step from stairs to path</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While searching for configurations of stone that feel 'right' when placed together, I mentally prepare myself to go through any number of tries and refinements. Which means, not getting too invested in my first attempt to put some stones together within a given segment. Instead, I try to adopt a playful approach to sampling layouts, looking for chance effects of harmony and contrast to <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">illustrate direction</span>, while at the same time remaining open to simply starting <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">o</span>ver again when things don't resolve into a layout. And, I try always to remain mindful of the need both to make the path work for its intended purpose and to make it simultaneously appealing to the eye. With time I've learned to assemble stones so that their facets mimic or echo each other, which visually supports the feeling of their belo<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">nging<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>together, helping them appear as more natural ensembles once they are mortared in. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLz8lclAMMZjLm0ghZyqxSIk_l7nNXbgJwXEvGufN18u2LYgCwbN4n84n9q1nP1r-QboGMUesYH0ItbwKyM2dJLzWKuYZ9kZ1aQRygHfinPjQmRgAnJCM9hPGZOBZyGEZWpjbD_XFk9Uw/s1600/Dave+5.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLz8lclAMMZjLm0ghZyqxSIk_l7nNXbgJwXEvGufN18u2LYgCwbN4n84n9q1nP1r-QboGMUesYH0ItbwKyM2dJLzWKuYZ9kZ1aQRygHfinPjQmRgAnJCM9hPGZOBZyGEZWpjbD_XFk9Uw/s200/Dave+5.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I mostly try to take the stone as it came from the ground, however randomly it's modified by the process of extraction, and this means spending considerable time seeking shapes that mirror one another sufficiently to complete arrangements (an incremental process punctuated by searches for specific pieces to fill residual voids). I'<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">m coming to realize that<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>any time and effort saved on custom-shaping with hammer and chisel just goes into poring over piles of stone for workable pieces. It's certainly been an inclination of mine to try and use stone shapes just as they come, rather than expressly modifying them for given slots - a conjuring process let's say, rather than a more determined plan (in Japanese path-making, this would be termed 'gyo' to reflect looser arrangement and stand in contrast to 'shin', which implies tight control and formality). That said, as time goes on, I am finding myself tidying up the edges of the stones more and more with the chisel. And not infrequently, striking off some unwanted knob of rock in order to produce a more serviceable and harmonious shape. One day it will be interesting to attempt more controlled shaping of pieces to fit particular openings, something that would take better equipment and more skill than I now <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">possess</span>. So as I lack the time for tha<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t as yet<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, I continue to work in the old way with the materials<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span>as they come to hand.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapuY8YSuiQFGGDkm7dnK8dsnlPYHvwdEUCIauzJDhUmGilsmGEhNdr-mK4Y2yGNDgiuSxEEbnkdHkm1G4jAuQbL6fFSO7N7xf9XgJqGpk1besPZg8heiyRyvQHyzgEYXibKW2NCTYWjwn/s1600/Joon+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapuY8YSuiQFGGDkm7dnK8dsnlPYHvwdEUCIauzJDhUmGilsmGEhNdr-mK4Y2yGNDgiuSxEEbnkdHkm1G4jAuQbL6fFSO7N7xf9XgJqGpk1besPZg8heiyRyvQHyzgEYXibKW2NCTYWjwn/s640/Joon+010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The path here functions as the top step as well as through-passage: finicky levels</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-CzAbCjDBuTPOg1OPVL1tdsAl3y8i2FMTO4m4gG-K-TvXydjWuvWgKzkwTXiNKkvnKTWY19N9071GWJwDB3GDG6GVbMb9AQXak551HLrW7l3Qcd_JPi-esK9LQHDL0VgvSaMm77vc2JN/s1600/path+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-CzAbCjDBuTPOg1OPVL1tdsAl3y8i2FMTO4m4gG-K-TvXydjWuvWgKzkwTXiNKkvnKTWY19N9071GWJwDB3GDG6GVbMb9AQXak551HLrW7l3Qcd_JPi-esK9LQHDL0VgvSaMm77vc2JN/s640/path+006.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Design emerging: shapes mimicking one another</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Extending the gradually widening path westwards</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Extending this path presented me with many new challenges and opportunities. Among the first, lack of time for sustained engagement (limited to bursts of work mostly on weekends, weather permitting) and the goal of using the materials consistently and aesthetically. Lack of continuous engagement means you invest more time trying to summon the right <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">frame of mind</span> to tackle a piece of work, one that allows you to pick up it up <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">just where</span> you left off. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ge<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">tting to this space</span></span> involves clearing <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">your </span>mind of everything that's extraneous to the job, being 'in the work' entirely and for as long as possible at a time. On the opportunity side, periodic work bouts do offer fresh chances to sharpen the expressive use of the materials. The real challenge is to find and keep a workable balance between getting output and maintaining good finished look.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKETDSmZxotqVCXWqrrs7I1EcXZN5jCFS_SmNSY4rFg17E8fsCkBEABXUb4ngiwU7Q72-An8w7LiW8Dww3l4_pIeBCVzGVmYw3IH4VC-UKT1a4nXTSzzfrT1IutFbLhtR_GNR4nGYTwYL/s1600/stuff+098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKETDSmZxotqVCXWqrrs7I1EcXZN5jCFS_SmNSY4rFg17E8fsCkBEABXUb4ngiwU7Q72-An8w7LiW8Dww3l4_pIeBCVzGVmYw3IH4VC-UKT1a4nXTSzzfrT1IutFbLhtR_GNR4nGYTwYL/s320/stuff+098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the three years since beginning this project (coincident with starting a full-time job), I've gradually gotten faster at turning out segments of finished path without, in my view, unduly sacrificing appearances. Making a rustic path does help in this regard, as it means a less self-conscious use of the materials. Of course, I realize that everything I do involves some kind of trade-off, always<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">: any placement could always be another, potentially better, one</span>. This<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is</span> where working as an amateur in one's spare time at a relaxed p<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ace </span>actually<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>confers a benefit: paradoxi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">cally, as an amate<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ur I</span></span> have the luxury of being able to lavish more time on my efforts to achieve a result that pleases the eye. Of course this <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">fiddling</span> around for effect slows progress down, but that means<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> I have</span> the space to not <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">take</span> what my hand first inclines to as finished placement. And I <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">d</span>o allow myself an open amount of time to tweak my layouts, teasing out greater impact by adjusting and snugging the fit of the stones. Inevitably though errors do get by me, or at least if not an outright mistake, then an outcome that in retrospect I'd like to revisit, but which is now embedded as part of the path's distinctive personality. Such flaws you have to accept and just try to learn from so as not to repeat - I remind myself that they will only leap to the eye of the person who made them, as others will tend to take the path in as a whole (should they notice it all) and certainly not see a minor blemish in sharp relief against its background. I try to remind myself too that minor misses are a risk that comes with creating anything out of found materials, and press on with the next piece of the work.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A fateful moment, when choices are set in cement</span></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Path as step within the path, flow briefly reversed</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Moving from layout to setting the stones in cement - where they will stay for a long time to come if the work is good - is both exciting and exacting. It's a time of emergence, when you experience the sense of finished form solidifying under your hand. I enjoy this part of the job immensely, if anything slowing down the execution somewhat so as to squeeze the very best out of the process. You can't easily back up from here, at least not without incurring large<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>penalties, so this part of the job needs one's whole attention. And once begun, due to the haste with which cement sets up (especially in warm weather) it has to be brought to closure with some dispatch. What satisfaction though, hinted in the pictures below, to finally see a chunk of finished path emerge from what were once random loose stones!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijE7rk-0qLOMpFBKFJ-6UcJiDZ2pBQYLTDkPrWIH5PKQYf7yAr0IQeBbq6NH8EfAmNGDUl8GSJhxS2htJSp_PF_lZt1NZxEG1aVQ3-x669n9mjj-0_kILqfe-OPtOH9kpTERMSYxmq3ptg/s1600/summer+dump+098.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijE7rk-0qLOMpFBKFJ-6UcJiDZ2pBQYLTDkPrWIH5PKQYf7yAr0IQeBbq6NH8EfAmNGDUl8GSJhxS2htJSp_PF_lZt1NZxEG1aVQ3-x669n9mjj-0_kILqfe-OPtOH9kpTERMSYxmq3ptg/s640/summer+dump+098.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Newly placed, misted to slow the mortar setting up</span></b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16R3C4Ic3G1n8n0bBo0RlRrCa2ACRRDRGh8jrlJ7KIW4qlaEj9L90x9OYbL3wyPI_cONxlQFOYkKXkzEaHzanLPywrd4yZzz3A23D4TCEpr0IVYyPczc4_oS6Sgfawk0pDkCsDwo3XHcW/s1600/summer+dump+123.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16R3C4Ic3G1n8n0bBo0RlRrCa2ACRRDRGh8jrlJ7KIW4qlaEj9L90x9OYbL3wyPI_cONxlQFOYkKXkzEaHzanLPywrd4yZzz3A23D4TCEpr0IVYyPczc4_oS6Sgfawk0pDkCsDwo3XHcW/s640/summer+dump+123.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Same section, seams now filled and linearly tooled</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A word here on <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">p</span>ath edges and 'style': I've made a virtue of necessity by allowing my edges to wander slightly with the contour of the stones. This reinforces feelings of informality arising from the irregular shapes comprising the groupings - and it affords me some useful wriggle room in achieving layouts that require expansion or contraction of width <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(this path varies dramatically in width along its length)</span>. This wandering edge<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>also imparts a feeling of liquid flow to the direction of the path. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Overall it reinforces <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a</span> sense of rusticity.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This style of paving with mixed random shapes, loosely known as a stone carpet or stone mat, originated in the orient and is taken to its highest levels in Japan, where it blends to some degree with Zen influences. There's nothing particularly Japanese or Zen about what I<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'m doing here</span>, yet there is an indirect link to what I've gleaned from observing what they do. It's my intention to try and use the design of the path to affect the experience of anyone passing through these spaces. This is a traditional Japanese design precept that <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">became<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>form<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">alized with<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the era</span></span></span> of the tea ceremony and its use of paths to conduct participants to the special place wi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">thin the garden </span>where tea <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">was to be taken</span>. In Japan, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t</span>he type of path I'm <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">making</span> would be considered informal (or 'So'<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">) </span>as regards the materials employed, but semi-formal (or 'Gyo') as regards the balanced and harmonious way the materials are <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">fitted </span>together into a pattern. I am not self-conscious about this analogy when extending the path; I work mostly intuitively and am guided by personal inclination rather than any precepts. However, informal material used in a balanced way is <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">congruent</span> with Japanese approaches to path-making, and to my eye this approach does<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>produce satisfying results. And with luck, it comes to have that power to shape and intensify the user<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'s</span> direct experience of passing through space<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, and so become memorable.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgag2_KnHEXHauZmZE-BpuJRFinGy2-2Jg9DM9TaYNq3Bj2x6fqfZ_fyh7K1_U47xdzSv2x3az1rcgw8Sp1Av55ZPRQzv8wSmAg4sm75B74aEb_oHJ0REV7jKTgRYB7V4nnzl-aHqDFyD/s1600/varied+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgag2_KnHEXHauZmZE-BpuJRFinGy2-2Jg9DM9TaYNq3Bj2x6fqfZ_fyh7K1_U47xdzSv2x3az1rcgw8Sp1Av55ZPRQzv8wSmAg4sm75B74aEb_oHJ0REV7jKTgRYB7V4nnzl-aHqDFyD/s320/varied+058.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One key difference in my approach is that where the Japanese path-makers tend to leave voids or deeply rebated seams between the individual stones (often to fantastic effect) I choose to fill mine up with mortar, more or less to the brim. By doing this I sacrifice the unusual shadow effects and emphases the Japanese technique gains, a most powerful aesthetic impetus it should be <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">said</span>. I would be all for using those voids here too, but for the reality that they expand the labour of maintenance exponentially (or failing that, entail a loss of appearance <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and utility</span> over time as biosphere invades lithosphere). For those pesky channels do fill<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> up </span>quickly with organic materials, in turn generating vegetation or moss, unless they are swept and cleaned continually. This is not a garden notion that's sustainable without additional hands d<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">oing the work</span>. La<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">cking extra hands, and </span>in the interests of longevity and utility<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> as well as</span> ease of maintenance, I choose to fill my seams so they sit more flush with the surface of the stones. And, making a virtue out of this elected necessity, I amuse myself by tooling grooves into the finish to g<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ain a <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">certain </span></span>emphasis of outline (<i>shown in the picture below</i>). This choice does afford me the chance to shape those lines to graphic effect, with the added benefit that the <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">tool<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ed </span></span>seams add substantially to the grippy quality of the finished path, making it more secure under foot in all seasons. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRW4G-Jh_nZZ6fzoZfWxgTTwd1EcRA7VwQWvMvFiBHv1QkzJT-RxhsvGr9sApEHUDuy8Kz2zaZxaYO4WsNmtwV_K9c_7xq2SS1xoe6UDeVqkkLS2da_6RSMKduBEPboQm7Joa8jV3suBeK/s1600/varied+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRW4G-Jh_nZZ6fzoZfWxgTTwd1EcRA7VwQWvMvFiBHv1QkzJT-RxhsvGr9sApEHUDuy8Kz2zaZxaYO4WsNmtwV_K9c_7xq2SS1xoe6UDeVqkkLS2da_6RSMKduBEPboQm7Joa8jV3suBeK/s640/varied+110.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tooled lines emphasize shapes, confer grippiness</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Among the challenges faced on this project were the path's gradually changing widths and elevations through<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> d</span>ifferent sections. This meant a gradually<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">swelling</span></span> breadth along the west end, a <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">w</span>idth like a narrow mountain path hanging off a slope to the east, and choices to be made about where the path could slope <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and</span> where steps needed to be added. In the end, as things unfolded, I wound up with two gradually sloping sections of path and three distinct clusters of steps. The first set of steps, described earlier as the project's beginning point, connect concrete stairs that join<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>the new path at a skewed angle. A second set of steps, pictured in very early evolution below, accesses a level run of the narrower section of path. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The place where three deep steps are to be contrived</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Emerging form: steps tentatively taking shape</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm one of those weird types who likes to model things fairly exactly before setting things in place with mortar. This could almost be seen as building a path twice, as you have to take things apart again in order to actually cement your choice in place. It's the magic of compact<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a</span>ble aggregate (crushed and ground stone<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> that locks up with compa<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ction</span></span> - commonly, road base<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">,<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> o</span></span>r better still for paths, crusher fines comprising chips and rock dust) that allows me to model my placement prior to building. This enables<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>me to try a section on for a time before committing to fixing it in place, a delay that affords the chance to keep tweaking or rebuilding the design. This can go on for a good long while as I positively enjoy seeing things in embryo, but it does facilitate being finicky about the look and also experiencing <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a</span> design more fully before locking it in. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHT7NVL8OhFuMdTePYybCHgUJtAswMWXSOtprnficc6uRuH5NJFNRCL_Vhxd17w2oRYf-8iT5zrJt52D57E6Q40mWoH-f5y_GTTSC_DYLyLWJWSsIYgkhEAgrXrDSVQ1B7yHq0R8nkfVc/s1600/Dave+4.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHT7NVL8OhFuMdTePYybCHgUJtAswMWXSOtprnficc6uRuH5NJFNRCL_Vhxd17w2oRYf-8iT5zrJt52D57E6Q40mWoH-f5y_GTTSC_DYLyLWJWSsIYgkhEAgrXrDSVQ1B7yHq0R8nkfVc/s200/Dave+4.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As an amateur my work time isn't commercialized, so I<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> am</span> truly free to lavish attention on the various aspects of things. Of course I am contending with lack of knowledge and skill as a<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">n offset. But<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> t</span></span>his nonetheless means I can invest time to overcome difficulties, smooth out roughness to some degree, refine form and placement, and so hopefully gain a better finished look. In commercial time, the job is typically bulled through to closure (time does in fact equal money). And skill in <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ex<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ecution may displace <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">expressiveness in design.</span></span></span> But <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">i</span>n amateur time, indefinite increments can be carelessly expended exploring possibilities of enhanced effect - or sometimes in reaching dead ends and realizing you need to start over again. Yes, that does get in the way of<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>getting things done, but things are moving ahead at a rather glacial pace anyway. At the phase shown below, the three steps are gradually being coaxed towards their finished elevations and complements of stone. Here I've determined that they will be between five and six inches high, with the top step turning in<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> a</span></span> long level run to the corner<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></span> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7Aj9AGbvBs0YPQccQNs8YYnYnDCgpbWS-gK4ZNLVU8HJkaJMLDGp2l0hVs40vyu4GFzroxTROqyRzxLhAj-l2hu_ZhCFXth7KaTANJ26qF0Ybb7b_dOtY1L8Tb5DzAGVQz-46P1-Q8Hy/s1600/batch+308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7Aj9AGbvBs0YPQccQNs8YYnYnDCgpbWS-gK4ZNLVU8HJkaJMLDGp2l0hVs40vyu4GFzroxTROqyRzxLhAj-l2hu_ZhCFXth7KaTANJ26qF0Ybb7b_dOtY1L8Tb5DzAGVQz-46P1-Q8Hy/s640/batch+308.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Slow work, feeling one's way towards a set of steps</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG5vKf50a0p59YWZ90gZ0V-fAF0MwvymnOENq_2tCR1r8mcZYXK-GYpwerPWAwcyM236TeVNGnTL7hQtWZZETFnSjGKRAEPmWp6zihhPU2trg-IRSc28LYODhLPMGsfAaAmCBg11r2J1i/s1600/summer+dump+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG5vKf50a0p59YWZ90gZ0V-fAF0MwvymnOENq_2tCR1r8mcZYXK-GYpwerPWAwcyM236TeVNGnTL7hQtWZZETFnSjGKRAEPmWp6zihhPU2trg-IRSc28LYODhLPMGsfAaAmCBg11r2J1i/s640/summer+dump+068.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taking shape<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">:</span> three steps now plausibly roughed in </span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Refining this set of steps by trimming edges and snugging placements, then <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bedding<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>the stones <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">i</span>n mortar and filling the seams in fact took me a full winter's building and th<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">en </span>carried on far into spring. I wanted them to feel as natural as possible (meaning, not imposed on the land) and I hoped to capture a feeling of flow through their run. That's an effect that has always fascinated me: inducing a gentle sense of movement, call it <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a hint of </span>fluidity, into hard materials. This effect can take lots of tweaking to attain, so you have to be ready to lavish time on subtleties if you want it. You can certainly get it done much sooner if you forfeit this idea, but that's my expressive inclination in stone - and amateurs do make such paths in order to explore their own inclinations in materials. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">T</span>he next two photos give an idea how this plays out<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> as shape is firming</span>.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYueQVboglOQ7rGjONPXLCNKX4FuOrQjsXqtSj34QFc5rxeEfpMYEHV2jagdGGlhhJKByCrqF29-d_aVe_wvKlLW_87lmu9l61QbQD5hZDsjj5Coai1Pp9HZ2-Dt46-maIG-ge30DDcSW/s1600/Grange+stub+074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYueQVboglOQ7rGjONPXLCNKX4FuOrQjsXqtSj34QFc5rxeEfpMYEHV2jagdGGlhhJKByCrqF29-d_aVe_wvKlLW_87lmu9l61QbQD5hZDsjj5Coai1Pp9HZ2-Dt46-maIG-ge30DDcSW/s640/Grange+stub+074.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lots of movement in the first step mortared-in </b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>One step done, another firmed, a third still notional</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Building a path that will endure involves preparing a firmly compacted base. For the easternmost run of path (the narrowest section) I decided to excavate the mixture of soil and rock chips in the existing base, and to replace it with a solid layer of road base topped with several inches of crusher fines. I wanted to get that piece of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">it<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>done before wet weather set in, so <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the aggregate </span>would settle and compact as the layout expanded<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> over</span> our long<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> open </span>winter. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">W<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">hen it's not raining, winter is a perfect time for laying out stone<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> structures).<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span>There was a lot of breaking up, loading and lugging of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">org<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a</span>n<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ic s</span></span>poil in buckets to get the space ready - hot work even in a shady spot - and then as much lugging of aggregate back in to prepare the milieu for the path. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next I proceeded to rough in a layout during the wet season, often walking on these <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">loose s</span>tones in order to tamp down the<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> mo<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ist </span></span>base. You can see how narrow the path had to be made on this run, noting the sheer<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>drop beside i<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Three hours work to loosen and remove the spoil </b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Far less work to place and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tamp down</span> aggregate</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4EPnzOcPzc5vgnBDGBeYHu35yyw_HXsxEUbv0yec6lGq_cJtGtch4r5qPK4E_HrJZBuNfIbOhs9cldg94pD3-BMU0JxNE8YJ1heGQGfAII7q5C3adneDz2MB-PIwOo39uEz9wQ0qj5gQ/s1600/summer+dump+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4EPnzOcPzc5vgnBDGBeYHu35yyw_HXsxEUbv0yec6lGq_cJtGtch4r5qPK4E_HrJZBuNfIbOhs9cldg94pD3-BMU0JxNE8YJ1heGQGfAII7q5C3adneDz2MB-PIwOo39uEz9wQ0qj5gQ/s640/summer+dump+089.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Various phases of work seen evolving in tandem</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For months I tacked back and forth between laying out the run of the path and cementing the various components of those three steps in place<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span>. By alternating the work focus a job can move forward<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>on more than one front.<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">T</span></span>his sets up the opportunity to become more efficient at making progress - yet<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> it's importa<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">nt<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> to</span></span></span> bring aspects to closure in order to sustain<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the sense of momentum</span> that buoys the spirits and keeps one going<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></span> Sometimes design <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">moves ahead</span> fluidly, at other times it<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'s<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">all </span></span></span>dead ends and new starts. When this happens, you may be better off leaving a particular facet of work alone for a time and tackling some other piece of the puzzle. Sometimes you have to set things aside so the imagination has time to<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>refresh itself. Then suddenly, even improbably, a simple way around a blockage suggests itself<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> a</span>nd the project surges ahead. I have found that over time, and with sustained application, a rhythm begin<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">s</span> to develop that allows you to feel more confident of moving the project along without sacrifice of appearance to arbitrary choices. That's a very special space to inhabit while <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">creating,</span> one to be cultivated by any means. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pattern fixed in place and drying before seams are filled in and tooled</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdk0s0ZrC3dhGe6rF9N-uX-_Ttt85o0Vzowtw7ZSihRRdR4IE9pSaglgXBkp7tQK33ZL1UBYrNAXmfrWYlEl5oKe_mw3CEnVYBmarC9NrSFUeczvFoc5RVy57w-Ez5BA9qySlhvthHO9h/s1600/landscape+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To recap, the phases of this sort of stone work include base prep, initial layout, tweaked layout, mortaring in place and finally, filling and finishing of the seams. There are intervals or waits between each phase of work, from base prep to initial layout, from tweaked layout to mortaring in and filling. The photos below show the run of three steps in their finished layout, then mortared in place, and finally with the seams just filled and tooled.<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fixing the stones in place with mortar </span>is is a very satisfying point to come to in the job, and I enjoy being careful with it because this captures (or doesn<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'t) the maximum of feeling</span>.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Long run firming up, steps now ready for joint filling</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Filling and tooling the seams: the funnest part of a job</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Looking smart as it dries, to a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> gardener'</span>s eye anyway</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I mentioned a third set of steps, at the west end of the building. These three rise up to an old and rather crudely supported concrete pad that will one day (<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">knees and back willing) </span>become a functioning rear terrace for the house. The utility of this part of the path is super high, these steps being the sole access to the rear door from the surrounding lands - and forming a key part of the route by which firewood (its principal fuel) enters the dwelling. These steps are also challenging in that they need to be designed integrally to<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the</span> curving alignment as the path turns the building's ninety degree corner. Fortunately I am very fond of gentle curves in stone, so I actually look forward to trying to make them appear. Curves to me contribute special mystery to the complex motion of a path that feels intriguing. Pictured below is my earliest take on the path becoming those steps up to the concrete pad. The new steps are pretty notional at this point.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The curve<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> will</span> continue right up through the steps</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>From above: approaching a final layout for the curve</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The point of transition between level path and steps is a finicky challenge to get right. The photos below show my efforts to make the line of the step echo the edge of the path, so the transition from flat to rise feels seamless and set into the landscape, the curving alignment continuous and fluid. The shots below depict the path's curve being mortared in place and the steps solidifying as a design. This is a big project in its own right, still not fully finished to this day, but firmed up now and providing stable access to the pad and the rear door of the house.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGXJc6RO7YQJ3L5KLdltGEsF8hTNYW44j9hmQQV_5aImLIh7rlU8QGuLwB_gFmEXsg9g3omJ1Ta1V4yKnq9tKv3TTCl-IX_fHYnlFUPaXU3I0xyNlnMTCZ9gFpCAOVWB0wkqJyeyiGkVO/s1600/various+236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGXJc6RO7YQJ3L5KLdltGEsF8hTNYW44j9hmQQV_5aImLIh7rlU8QGuLwB_gFmEXsg9g3omJ1Ta1V4yKnq9tKv3TTCl-IX_fHYnlFUPaXU3I0xyNlnMTCZ9gFpCAOVWB0wkqJyeyiGkVO/s640/various+236.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Nascent step and path echoing alignments</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimd8KyAurDcKbMySxwzEl8Z8QiUd10vQh-O4bwAd1M6FzkMeXUnvA_CuCFNNLeZHlBqEoC5G8wIxpe1LfxlIq5oSSrr1kfc3DZhMbYfJZ3Pmza0njZsDenSSifZdgpVZTJm_NNJmfezsfS/s1600/batch+262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimd8KyAurDcKbMySxwzEl8Z8QiUd10vQh-O4bwAd1M6FzkMeXUnvA_CuCFNNLeZHlBqEoC5G8wIxpe1LfxlIq5oSSrr1kfc3DZhMbYfJZ3Pmza0njZsDenSSifZdgpVZTJm_NNJmfezsfS/s640/batch+262.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Shape of steps and flanks gradually emerging: new first <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">step layout</span></b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This part of the project continues to evolve. As the photos below suggest, the modelled form of the steps functions as interim access to the concrete pad while the regular traffic over it compacts the base material beneath them (I think this might actually qualify as pre-loading, as it's called in construction). The left and right flanks of the steps are being extended and refined. I suppose these flanking structures <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">w</span>ould be considered 'revetment' in construction, but their actual purpose here is more aesthetic than structural: to make the patio seem fitted into the land it sits on rather than appearing, as it did originally, to appropriate it abruptly and starkly. Here I am trying to disappear some<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>baldly utilitarian engineering, which declares properties that ought, in<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> a</span> picturesque lens, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">never to be viewed</span>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The final height of the individual steps will only be fully set when I eventually tackle mortaring a base in under them. They have to bring path users up to the future finished level of the pad, which is to be faced eventually with flat material to a thickness of about three inches. Cementing the steps in place is going to be a complex and time-consuming operation that I'm leaving to the future so I can focus on elaborating other aspects of the design.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOWJHvSA7YeQUHDHj5sNcXrRqoi10tw2gzJvct7UNFTBZ9Q_Y_TFcYB06eKH8KqOVfHtJRIcw0g0V0zcuqgvGBIGY3ahqnqjThs-7S0ONZgoziMdhG23qTdumXq0ybO8MK0ZrMv-1La0F/s1600/batch+275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOWJHvSA7YeQUHDHj5sNcXrRqoi10tw2gzJvct7UNFTBZ9Q_Y_TFcYB06eKH8KqOVfHtJRIcw0g0V0zcuqgvGBIGY3ahqnqjThs-7S0ONZgoziMdhG23qTdumXq0ybO8MK0ZrMv-1La0F/s640/batch+275.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This needs more tweaking before setting, here still a very long way off</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A year on: elaborating the revetment to be consistent with the path and the steps</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Many months have passed between the two scenes depicted above. The first picture illustrates the initial finding of form for the curving alignment. As noted, my goal was to make the curve feel as natural as possible, a continuation of the arc established by the path leading up to it. The second photo shows the gradual firming and extension of the design. The line of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sm</span>all stones at the base of the first step<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>represent a potential base course under it, when I finally do get around to mortaring the ensemble in place. As you can see, I'm allowing myself to extrapolate the design further out along the flanks. This decorative revetment will close up and adorn a sharp rise to the pad, closing up and ma<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sking its</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> erod<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ed</span></span> underpinnings. All of my work intends to make this path and steps ultimately feel as though they're fitted together rather than imposed.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyY89r_7pTR_r8EMz6k0WpGODXBm1Zv5UAFslo4I0xyRJH3wKNyIjD0o4FtjEmP_9aWJ22NmZ9NskWBYcfKUZmhiAx1Yq0_XVpMaVPSOaDfPjD7IZpQC6RnlsveiWvDQsijtV0kEieCBq7/s1600/various+184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyY89r_7pTR_r8EMz6k0WpGODXBm1Zv5UAFslo4I0xyRJH3wKNyIjD0o4FtjEmP_9aWJ22NmZ9NskWBYcfKUZmhiAx1Yq0_XVpMaVPSOaDfPjD7IZpQC6RnlsveiWvDQsijtV0kEieCBq7/s640/various+184.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Stone hues varying from sand and nearly white to pink and faintly gold</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am also striving to give these steps the consistent look that comes from using pieces of stone of similar coloration. Local sandstone comes in varying hues, from grey and blue (which tend finally to weather towards a greeny grey black) to sand and even pinky red. Sandy hues can be more stable through weathering, while pinky red seems to actually intensify over time (I think this may be due to iron oxides in this sandstone, which seem to repel organic life more than the other hues do). While these a<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ll go together amicably, </span>I'm using more rust-coloured or salmon-pink stones for the stair ensemble because that's closer to the original coloration of exposed bedrock on that part of the site. This constitutes a buried attempt to pay homage<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> to</span> what was there prior to construction by incorporating its look into the design. I don't know what impact further weathering in situ will have on this sandstone (that's unpredictable), but the initial look is pleasing to my eye.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Overall, all the varying hues<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>of local sandstone work harmoniously in random ensembles. This is evident in the long run of narrow path that's depicted below. This run brings the path to a corner that has yet to be turned - but its form begins to define how the corner will ultimately be gotten round. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_GGjw-tql7lmcG013_NFaVyMZEtS_Nukf7Khr_qbQ3R7UFO8KiJsCMtxaMXMwaJiw_aLn_iZ4lY2bR1CfCNaF6Mrd1eUSWWlKX4q3NdmBRfGHAIWmHy1LG2X4OIJ1kcp4Ae_oK6jOYHj/s1600/landscape+018+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_GGjw-tql7lmcG013_NFaVyMZEtS_Nukf7Khr_qbQ3R7UFO8KiJsCMtxaMXMwaJiw_aLn_iZ4lY2bR1CfCNaF6Mrd1eUSWWlKX4q3NdmBRfGHAIWmHy1LG2X4OIJ1kcp4Ae_oK6jOYHj/s640/landscape+018+-+Copy.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Refining a potential layout by tiddling the seams</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Three to four stones across give just enough width</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JpdMfoZFUHRbyGEF8dB1DDT-YlhZNmWasrYBWuw-WsB7peJrm_L-Z_GU1bDqU8TZmfp5X5ZOfBqmoGRHuz7z7W0l1LLpPN21jeEYDs5Yw6VLB80Ozl8FC4F7tMYgm1uxQqfxP2rik32o/s1600/stuff+094.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JpdMfoZFUHRbyGEF8dB1DDT-YlhZNmWasrYBWuw-WsB7peJrm_L-Z_GU1bDqU8TZmfp5X5ZOfBqmoGRHuz7z7W0l1LLpPN21jeEYDs5Yw6VLB80Ozl8FC4F7tMYgm1uxQqfxP2rik32o/s640/stuff+094.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The seams as voids reinforce the pattern of stones</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tooled seams now drying slowly</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3R_r9PQlByW5Knc8Z-9OWv9GhtVmKUkObs5Sf4Q7Opk0zf0T64dI8yFIF7HR6TrQNNnevD-ujQz_9upLTEoPnYNf4meLmjELj_CXtXVr0E1fcCtP0zo6NiqBvOXdgB8llWrlbdssOaT5k/s1600/varied+021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3R_r9PQlByW5Knc8Z-9OWv9GhtVmKUkObs5Sf4Q7Opk0zf0T64dI8yFIF7HR6TrQNNnevD-ujQz_9upLTEoPnYNf4meLmjELj_CXtXVr0E1fcCtP0zo6NiqBvOXdgB8llWrlbdssOaT5k/s640/varied+021.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ready to turn the next corner and continue to grow</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This project began in late summer 2012 and we are now at fall 2015. Three years of irregular work bouts, sometimes as short as <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a couple of hours,<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>have nonetheless given rise to some fifty feet of mortared pathway and three separate <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sets</span> of steps. Handcrafting is slow work even when labour is continuously supplied, but advances at a snail's pace when possible only occasionally. For some reason I don't mind this limitation unduly. Patience with stone is a necessity, especially whe<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">n one is not trained to the medium</span>. And lavishing scarce time on a project's details pays off in better engineering and quality of finished output. Also, with experience I have come to be somewhat faster and better at execution. This is always a delicate balance - going faster raises output, but the skill lies in doing work more adroitly without sacrificing appearance. In the end, I confess, I always err on the side of taking more time.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Looking west, path sprinkled with fallen arbutus flowers</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Collecting what has been overlooked or unappreciated and making something useful with it feels like an alchemist's trick." <i>Dan Snow, dry-stone waller</i></span></span>
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David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-67914779965420252982014-12-19T13:51:00.000-08:002014-12-20T10:00:57.370-08:00A reviving stone wall in Elora, Ontario<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>"when anything has to be renewed....the only question asked is how little it can be done for, so as to tide us over our responsibility and shift its mending on to the next generation." </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>William Morris</b></i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Elora Gorge: deep channels carved out of ancient limestone</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've been going to Elora for over fifty years now, drawn there by the beauty of its setting above a deep river gorge and its collection of well-maintained stone buildings from the nineteenth century</span><span style="font-size: large;">.<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Elora is a place with period ambience that's still largely unspoiled. My first trip to this small Ontario village was actually to swim in an abandoned quarry alongside the Grand River. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kMZM_8Z73LlSp6dD2Fo8RAvmH46NAhOKIDL2L3poTD_omas0svxrkdhyphenhyphenlhVb-dEiIA9YRgntgeUoeCD84TXQDRY88uEnHGCPGUb_WpKQTVulfDRmJV8FLLWB2A0_etageSIdMWHCOioX/s1600/5105135893_c00d285e77_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kMZM_8Z73LlSp6dD2Fo8RAvmH46NAhOKIDL2L3poTD_omas0svxrkdhyphenhyphenlhVb-dEiIA9YRgntgeUoeCD84TXQDRY88uEnHGCPGUb_WpKQTVulfDRmJV8FLLWB2A0_etageSIdMWHCOioX/s1600/5105135893_c00d285e77_z.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I recall, it was an unusually hot June and we had decided to play hooky from studying for final exams to find a swimming hole in the untypical heat. There was talk of an abandoned stone quarry near Elora that had high walls and deep, clear water, which turned out to be a thrilling place for jumping and diving (it wasn't fenced-off then). To get there from Waterloo, you drove through the village of Elora, a revelation that immediately caught my imagination because it seemed authentically from another time. It's a mix of mostly older stone and brick buildings in good repair that haven't been infilled with many clashing modern intrusions. And the physical surroundings are dead lovely too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Elora developed where it is in order to take advantage of its riverside setting, formed by a deep gorge cutting through a massive limestone deposit that's over 400-million years old. The natural run of the river offered a harnessable energy source to drive large-scale machinery. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvrPYbcPTHbuH9WASJz8j3PFZXxF0USB4cm4ZjxTEw3BTPFy0jZXS1bFQPFGIFTONg38P7Puhj9J6SwYaUAewti_CzCBSOaLgmW5_P13WJJiGqYKDUtTH4soxrYXF3LFtOusDSPe3ifF8/s1600/EloraGorge8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvrPYbcPTHbuH9WASJz8j3PFZXxF0USB4cm4ZjxTEw3BTPFy0jZXS1bFQPFGIFTONg38P7Puhj9J6SwYaUAewti_CzCBSOaLgmW5_P13WJJiGqYKDUtTH4soxrYXF3LFtOusDSPe3ifF8/s1600/EloraGorge8.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Water-driven grist mills and sawmills, with later electrical power generation, formed the basis of a thriving economy, and houses, like the one below, came to adorn the river's high banks. Limestone extracted from the gorge and the quarry was artfully worked by Scottish settlers into the solid houses and commercial buildings that still anchor the village character today. The buildings and town form these Scots achieved with local limestone, so different from their much harder native stone, continues to be viable, serving for decades as a tourism-magnet and now en route to becoming a residential enclave. The use made of limestone for building is direct and honest, sometimes fashioned into dimensional blocks for cottages, but as often worked as irregularly shaped pieces in a cement matrix (see below). The effect is solid and pleasing to the eye.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnKzHPMe-Hg_Ik34FHFWk-DyHT6QP7H0sN1bIJgqb0kE1WQ5ApEngRCctYsa32DWkIwiHw_R2q78RQ5Bpykpd_0U3LWcCu6dhHbxx79WoEvWj_un-rypCtJWxCwPTB3mOE4L6T8VvL2WI/s1600/Xmas+2013+224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnKzHPMe-Hg_Ik34FHFWk-DyHT6QP7H0sN1bIJgqb0kE1WQ5ApEngRCctYsa32DWkIwiHw_R2q78RQ5Bpykpd_0U3LWcCu6dhHbxx79WoEvWj_un-rypCtJWxCwPTB3mOE4L6T8VvL2WI/s1600/Xmas+2013+224.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A solid home for a prospering member of the Elora community in the nineteenth century</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A structure that may have been an inn has been recycled as a bed and breakfast</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The highway to Elora snakes its way through the outskirts of the community, winding past trim stone cottages and the occasional inn while tracing the contours of the land. The stone buildings we passed on my first visit made a lasting impression. I also recall glimpsing a long, curving wall running in front of several stone cottages. Walls aren't a rarity in this part of Ontario, but this one's extent impresses and adds a considerable charm. Subsequently Elora beckoned me back to explore and enjoy, time and again, eventually becoming a place I would choose to visit in order to wander in surroundings redolent of the past. The Elora experience was enriched in the late sixties with the recycling of some of its buildings as studios and workshops for potters, woodworkers and other artists, reinforcing it as an artistic destination. In time I came to know that long stone wall better and found myself checking in on it to see how it was aging and changing. The wall was unremarkable in character yet unique in form, lending definition to the contoured landscape. Its gradually curving extent generates a secure effect by fitting perfectly into its setting.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCx2-efgZ78tlE5iq0OiYDQm6KelnzdvRKqPagfFB-oimDFFiE1z8_mYSc-zyXewVs-AqAkLevnsdT54BiBzn8lVduG-bDqR-cSs3mh0YiRDpEdbPAcBgHu8DJsqCq2tYTk_Z2KMrfrsPc/s1600/Ontario+plus+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCx2-efgZ78tlE5iq0OiYDQm6KelnzdvRKqPagfFB-oimDFFiE1z8_mYSc-zyXewVs-AqAkLevnsdT54BiBzn8lVduG-bDqR-cSs3mh0YiRDpEdbPAcBgHu8DJsqCq2tYTk_Z2KMrfrsPc/s1600/Ontario+plus+060.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A long wall that runs with the land's contour</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKuxIP2lWg7wdAYpSeM9N8eU6qbHx09h54kUKX469vz8nFXNtXpPXHlIrhlA6XJYIplkFHaqAQwHfGYsLHHwSeUj4b9t6H6l_CYUHH-zenHfdCECRbszBy3_mdO_3yujjBRAdB9djdZcC/s1600/Ontario+plus+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKuxIP2lWg7wdAYpSeM9N8eU6qbHx09h54kUKX469vz8nFXNtXpPXHlIrhlA6XJYIplkFHaqAQwHfGYsLHHwSeUj4b9t6H6l_CYUHH-zenHfdCECRbszBy3_mdO_3yujjBRAdB9djdZcC/s1600/Ontario+plus+076.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Today's sidewalk post-dates the wall, but traces its lead</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't recall when I started examining this wall more carefully, but at that moment I stopped taking it in as a scenic whole and began trying to discern what still showed of its actual composition. At first glance, its overall effect is similar to that of Elora's many stone buildings, which tend towards limestone's neutral buff-grays. On closer examination, it's apparent this wall has been subject to many interventions over its long life, and to such an extent now that the interventions obscure much of what it originally was. While intact in outline, its original look is now pretty much covered with cement. Realizing this, I worried that continued entombing in response to new breaches would one day obscure even its outline. And yet beneath all that accumulated gunk the wall's real character lay buried. I couldn't help wondering whether it was doomed to stay that way or one day somehow it would be rescued? Increasing care was certainly being taken with repair of many of Elora's stone buildings, but walls often suffer from indifference.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ79D_QiMd3GxTYdHoXKdWBwVTwpiFnlPUSs66_SIzFEcKR0MmT2r1fxg_rXNwRqwE5ns5HCgmJd5eEU19cSqYOyl_bA8En1IEkBEarLTP7OzyL6E3ZH6vnQoPHXsaRC_ONrknVF_FJPDN/s1600/Ontario+plus+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ79D_QiMd3GxTYdHoXKdWBwVTwpiFnlPUSs66_SIzFEcKR0MmT2r1fxg_rXNwRqwE5ns5HCgmJd5eEU19cSqYOyl_bA8En1IEkBEarLTP7OzyL6E3ZH6vnQoPHXsaRC_ONrknVF_FJPDN/s1600/Ontario+plus+066.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Stone cottages sitting behind secure perimeter walls, the handiwork of Scottish immigrants</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">I assumed the accretion of all that cement meant that new cracks must be regularly appearing and that homeowners were just doing what they could to keep the wall intact and prevent dilapidation. But this utilitarian approach to repair came at the cost of obscuring the presentation face of the stones, submerging them to the point of disappearance. The next picture gives an idea of the aesthetic results of a great many quick fixes.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWW4LLP8tQo4ZEO0eQ-nvu8nO2gwkMVUlJZMsPM2apdfl3D2zXqn2qV4FX6mPQXmzvTQbzC-kBO7NZzVcBO8z6uVjFhgGRpwR_ZvKmGLClLXlS3AyXjowbl-k6D1p7OFRI8SNQeTn22dK/s1600/Ontario+plus+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWW4LLP8tQo4ZEO0eQ-nvu8nO2gwkMVUlJZMsPM2apdfl3D2zXqn2qV4FX6mPQXmzvTQbzC-kBO7NZzVcBO8z6uVjFhgGRpwR_ZvKmGLClLXlS3AyXjowbl-k6D1p7OFRI8SNQeTn22dK/s1600/Ontario+plus+057.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This wall is now a monotone gray from all the cement slopped on it over the years</b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">In fact, there's now so much cement slathered over the wall's numerous joints that it's challenging to gain a sense of what it originally looked like. In sections like the one shown above, a not-very-convincing attempt has been made to scribe some lines in the cement overlayer, presumably to imply an order or intentionality of some kind. The photo below shows a closeup so you can judge for yourself the success this has in gaining a plausible effect.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyirV7s7wps3b_Cm_n5owNa2LuK3ESc-EEnl8z0qzknsL2Zn19kxJ7J09j2Fitl10wM4j1I1aekCbX-oOoMRkgDTSQefvdB1hMat3CpgvrV8CjAthlmCY4FQvoy-SBg_UjeqJ6gSzOPfz/s1600/Ontario+plus+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyirV7s7wps3b_Cm_n5owNa2LuK3ESc-EEnl8z0qzknsL2Zn19kxJ7J09j2Fitl10wM4j1I1aekCbX-oOoMRkgDTSQefvdB1hMat3CpgvrV8CjAthlmCY4FQvoy-SBg_UjeqJ6gSzOPfz/s1600/Ontario+plus+058.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lines that appear random, various tooling effects, cracks and a new breach near the base.</b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmuITyNYLA7joDVGcwRVVO2OSVi6TOi7HbtJIyKoARsSG6knB5_2lgp9BfbT7fEIO2XqweLsqlV23rlDcoIbpLiNhF6dO9loIZQWq_BIldKKnupQZL-OkmRsBieW1HBNbJN7gHmxa16f9/s1600/Ontario+plus+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmuITyNYLA7joDVGcwRVVO2OSVi6TOi7HbtJIyKoARsSG6knB5_2lgp9BfbT7fEIO2XqweLsqlV23rlDcoIbpLiNhF6dO9loIZQWq_BIldKKnupQZL-OkmRsBieW1HBNbJN7gHmxa16f9/s1600/Ontario+plus+061.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Capstones disappearing under the burden of mortar used to secure them from cracks</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">The wall's capstones are a mix of rounded limestone and granite boulders, in contrast to a base made of a mix of chunks of similar materials. There's a kind of rude entablature between the two principal components. I'm sure the wall's original look was rustic and unselfconscious, but I can't picture how the mortar placed between the stones was originally finished. If it mimicked the look of the rubble stone buildings around Elora, it may have been somewhat like the detail shown in the next picture. The manner of filling the voids, and the size of the voids left between the pieces, is what decides the look of the finished surface.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But it's impossible to discern what it looked like from staring at what's left showing there today.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tm2FZbJ6UEL_DFC1JfKkpd09YLivsFtu4gKJTDuFz_jfuyVNoHRUMyd07pXGpHtxCiCh0CFfv0aGG0NuPLReWcJ8OcY7B8wRZDz3lMtQHDLuc7QBqdwoOVMkJkRbPt0j-ih8PS3hu6xf/s1600/Xmas+2013+234.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tm2FZbJ6UEL_DFC1JfKkpd09YLivsFtu4gKJTDuFz_jfuyVNoHRUMyd07pXGpHtxCiCh0CFfv0aGG0NuPLReWcJ8OcY7B8wRZDz3lMtQHDLuc7QBqdwoOVMkJkRbPt0j-ih8PS3hu6xf/s1600/Xmas+2013+234.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A regular pattern developed from irregular materials: loose intentionality in design</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">This long wall serves both as a boundary marker, visibly defining an edge to the landscape, and as a retaining wall, holding back an earthen bank whose height is exaggerated by the road cut beneath it. One wonders whether the wall was inadequately reinforced for the stress of the weight of earth behind it, whether flimsiness of some sort accounted for the extent of cracking that in turn brought on the cement fix? A visit in fall 2014 unexpectedly shed light on this, as sections of the wall were undergoing serious repair and a cross-section revealing the back of the wall was visible. This repair may relate to drainage issues.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3g-UyqrucswF7zvVeKyYL4y9Y0oPJqPOEvuGTaQW20t-YKV39MYlpOetPMr3lnODsJF3iMq5lvhaQSwS7QYzSrMt7LwNLndfVESxfyG7uum6LDEF9QFUscl6GJlxCLg2momzWCw_nVyzf/s1600/Ontario+plus+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3g-UyqrucswF7zvVeKyYL4y9Y0oPJqPOEvuGTaQW20t-YKV39MYlpOetPMr3lnODsJF3iMq5lvhaQSwS7QYzSrMt7LwNLndfVESxfyG7uum6LDEF9QFUscl6GJlxCLg2momzWCw_nVyzf/s1600/Ontario+plus+063.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Trees too close to the wall can lift and crack components</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Breaches in the wall at the point shown above may be due to tree roots expanding and working their way into the base, perhaps aggravated by mortar's permeability and the expansions and contractions of freeze-thaw cycles. Frost heaving in damp soil is quite capable of mechanically breaking up cement, especially in the thin layers filling voids between irregularly shaped rocks.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GD4tx-nhJwYKrx-00oEkEDQCAvBt4BSO3Rrhx_fOD_T6M9EFmUWTLVDk0T5m-UQ6T8DtPvu9h0D-o7o_iQLkMsp_CrsZl2Qy-IyfcaI3_6kbrUUNkBnsJD0DxBA3Vaf5MfDx9RadtNHX/s1600/Ontario+plus+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GD4tx-nhJwYKrx-00oEkEDQCAvBt4BSO3Rrhx_fOD_T6M9EFmUWTLVDk0T5m-UQ6T8DtPvu9h0D-o7o_iQLkMsp_CrsZl2Qy-IyfcaI3_6kbrUUNkBnsJD0DxBA3Vaf5MfDx9RadtNHX/s1600/Ontario+plus+069.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Strength at the base, but perhaps subject to toppling stresses</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">The deconstructed portion shown reveals a prism that's substantially thicker at the base, but not leaning back into the slope. Despite the apparent solidity and strength, the forces of moisture penetration and frost heaving may be causing stresses that crack the upper parts of the wall. The landscape fabric just visible in the picture above suggests this isn't the first intervention at this point. From it we can infer that becoming a steward of this old wall is a potentially involving responsibility that might prompt one to resort to cement as a quick and simple fix for recurring problems. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8TBt0fPOiqvI3lo8piiPoqao24H6o4CSliIyB8le0KU-rOt6Ga8G4iQDQ0vIWs_OH6CX1WcJNTpV7u9z0gut9kcG80zC_1ws8zQE89WbKVw2vLjs-tpmJJHFf-2uD9AeWcfNY_4SSUnA/s1600/Ontario+plus+074.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8TBt0fPOiqvI3lo8piiPoqao24H6o4CSliIyB8le0KU-rOt6Ga8G4iQDQ0vIWs_OH6CX1WcJNTpV7u9z0gut9kcG80zC_1ws8zQE89WbKVw2vLjs-tpmJJHFf-2uD9AeWcfNY_4SSUnA/s1600/Ontario+plus+074.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Stark contrast between covered and newly exposed segments</b></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8TBt0fPOiqvI3lo8piiPoqao24H6o4CSliIyB8le0KU-rOt6Ga8G4iQDQ0vIWs_OH6CX1WcJNTpV7u9z0gut9kcG80zC_1ws8zQE89WbKVw2vLjs-tpmJJHFf-2uD9AeWcfNY_4SSUnA/s1600/Ontario+plus+074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">A revealing discovery awaited me on the far side of this opening, where it became clear that someone was bravely engaged in a more restorative form of repair. Sections on either side of the entry steps to a stone cottage had seen their cement tomb carefully chipped away, exposing the original rock composition of the wall to startling effect (see contrast above). Here the mystery of how the wall once looked dissolved before my eyes. Presumably the mender intends to elaborate a new pattern of mortaring, without obscuring the stone facings, and so regain what was likely the original look. Or perhaps they will be left as excavated, as voids emphasizing the pattern of solids comprising the wall? I can't help but wonder if the original pattern didn't involve flush mortar between the many seams. Yet I found my eye quickly acclimatizing to the emphasis the newly recessed joints lend to the stones. Only the person removing the buildup chip by chip can gain an idea of the original treatment, but by the time I left Elora I'd already become comfortable with the aesthetics of the recessed joints, whether original or not. My next visit there will reveal what choice the current owner has made for the restored wall, but I'm comfortable with it as it is here.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY72ULudwHoj3L57MAPY97UG76fxqKB9p2Ar8UV00rKw8v4W_Emh3jjL21BHnEhTnZ8k_MYJJjt8pG5OT_NW7-IWgFloka0o7WdilC5CNEbzNs5WBail3fIFYydhJr9AFQyXSaYpWKP6J1/s1600/Ontario+plus+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY72ULudwHoj3L57MAPY97UG76fxqKB9p2Ar8UV00rKw8v4W_Emh3jjL21BHnEhTnZ8k_MYJJjt8pG5OT_NW7-IWgFloka0o7WdilC5CNEbzNs5WBail3fIFYydhJr9AFQyXSaYpWKP6J1/s1600/Ontario+plus+070.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Elements of original personality showing in the cleaned sections:a fresh start for a familiar face</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">The effect of chiseling away the mortar smeared over stone facings is dramatic indeed to my eyes. A great deal of suppressed personality is suddenly visible in the varying colours and shapes of the individual stones. This restoration would be terribly time-consuming and delicate, so as avoid damaging the face of the stone or dislodging pieces that would grow the scope of the repair. But what potential to regain aesthetic effects! </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvohrjLV0_noeUqwC3-cy33fMeyyPsO_1HJhddTgZ6kdrvdTRgxKZ1LKAbY2gsMW1A0iUS2QjjRgVXHm225pgTRFwpaWzjt_AdKwsd5O9jFnLjEDv9yABO2zeNiwvQUSDTBzABb8OydwQN/s1600/Ontario+plus+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvohrjLV0_noeUqwC3-cy33fMeyyPsO_1HJhddTgZ6kdrvdTRgxKZ1LKAbY2gsMW1A0iUS2QjjRgVXHm225pgTRFwpaWzjt_AdKwsd5O9jFnLjEDv9yABO2zeNiwvQUSDTBzABb8OydwQN/s1600/Ontario+plus+078.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>An exposed section reveals a vibrant personality previously entombed in concrete </b></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSeVWJL277Y5IP7osA_aGlOtINX0epW1qkXW8CcO120Fdx-3LwZHVlpSuWFdF1wD5KTLgjnfmZhyphenhyphenPC42SkKjzIGbTbgThSVqUG3MGUN-40oeV5lULSuj9xJuHCTXh-QXtOAexeqWsXbj9i/s1600/Ontario+plus+072.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSeVWJL277Y5IP7osA_aGlOtINX0epW1qkXW8CcO120Fdx-3LwZHVlpSuWFdF1wD5KTLgjnfmZhyphenhyphenPC42SkKjzIGbTbgThSVqUG3MGUN-40oeV5lULSuj9xJuHCTXh-QXtOAexeqWsXbj9i/s1600/Ontario+plus+072.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Colourful granite boulders and a rough entablature add entirely new dimension to the wall</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Contrast the variety of form and colour of the revealed look (above) with a still-encased section of the wall (below) that is grey, uniform and lacking in any distinctive character.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98H8UcFYSga3fwPAAKE7kiOt7X-I7ohaKSnA-kUnvamvvNM4mUNUjnSY6nkqdRFJBaWmEuiW-XBYyUhhEE8ARVnXtGC3Hr50BieMczKpeY7HKmyPM98jlHVFRlaCmlj6-An94vBmyJfRD/s1600/Ontario+plus+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98H8UcFYSga3fwPAAKE7kiOt7X-I7ohaKSnA-kUnvamvvNM4mUNUjnSY6nkqdRFJBaWmEuiW-XBYyUhhEE8ARVnXtGC3Hr50BieMczKpeY7HKmyPM98jlHVFRlaCmlj6-An94vBmyJfRD/s1600/Ontario+plus+059.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Cement-encased section for comparison - no distinct or even any personality for the stone</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">So while the cement covered wall more resembles the subdued coloration of Elora's limestone cottages, the original look stands in more vibrant contrast with them. Doubly so, because the cottages model consistent blocks of limestone, while the wall promiscuously mixes chunks of limestone and granite in novel patterns.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">These developments leave me with a renewed optimism about the future of this old wall. It takes remarkable commitment to tackle work as painstaking as this, but the ability to regain an historic effect - to unearth the buried past and allow it to live anew in the present - is to me at least real stewardship and tremendously inspiring. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can't wait to see how it all turns out. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3ZLpyGMhXR-pvXaDFuLKTZFN1CaDsW5QP5gIu-RXdcK-t0_unOhoF-6U_zqov12evA1BwXTcSXA0vTor2DIWmIQmtWnDlP7XGoJL3q3d_Xnn9JeS4U2m_rggD5YUZhL_zkF2WsE6utMZ/s1600/Xmas+2013+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3ZLpyGMhXR-pvXaDFuLKTZFN1CaDsW5QP5gIu-RXdcK-t0_unOhoF-6U_zqov12evA1BwXTcSXA0vTor2DIWmIQmtWnDlP7XGoJL3q3d_Xnn9JeS4U2m_rggD5YUZhL_zkF2WsE6utMZ/s1600/Xmas+2013+141.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Off the main drag, another high stone wall persisting in Elora</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhn318Ff-9DVxBxOQ7lgLtNKSrhSIuPA1OG3jybcJ9SBKDCTxmSk0F78DswrDHw-eZObrmxkfW5HctBepJLfvRzw7VovpdCJaDeNg8D1NBlrcWi8SwETs1JaGGeQ47uj-y6C1OspvWQQj/s1600/Xmas+2013+145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhn318Ff-9DVxBxOQ7lgLtNKSrhSIuPA1OG3jybcJ9SBKDCTxmSk0F78DswrDHw-eZObrmxkfW5HctBepJLfvRzw7VovpdCJaDeNg8D1NBlrcWi8SwETs1JaGGeQ47uj-y6C1OspvWQQj/s1600/Xmas+2013+145.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Like the other wall, this one has had a lot of cement placed over the stone original</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-60318181521935118632014-11-21T07:22:00.000-08:002017-10-14T16:47:41.152-07:00Connecting with stone<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfyee6JWgvPSEMrl8Wq_0jQjrgvQPy9ooMljt4QB4C6kGN5hH_3ixE3Pye6Eafo8s57hmBgkS7Hk1EXV9ptoZwKNwZHpjldQmdDrny9tq7j4Zxpe-925G17P3eFxCv7thPSNRtPBsSSpu/s1600/Douglas+Connector+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfyee6JWgvPSEMrl8Wq_0jQjrgvQPy9ooMljt4QB4C6kGN5hH_3ixE3Pye6Eafo8s57hmBgkS7Hk1EXV9ptoZwKNwZHpjldQmdDrny9tq7j4Zxpe-925G17P3eFxCv7thPSNRtPBsSSpu/s1600/Douglas+Connector+033.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A rough-made stone base links this 1913 wooden bungalow to its rocky upland site</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">When I said ‘yes’ to buying an old house built on a stone
foundation, I had no idea of the new headaches I was agreeing to as a result. We tend to see things made of stone as permanent (part of
their charm) whereas materials like wood we more easily accept need periodic maintenance. But stone needs attention too, only over much longer intervals if it's been well done originally. And
as many do with houses, I went for the whole enchilada without close examination of the
parts, then gradually awoke to the realities of the work needed to stabilize and repair. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As I settled into my new home, I began noticing among other things that its sturdy stone base
was in fact sporting several breaches. It turns out that seventy-five years of exposure to weather with minimal maintenance
will do that to a foundation held together by lime mortar. The materials comprising it were ordinary, mostly from the site itself, and randomly set without conscious patterning or coursing. A lot of
different shapes and sizes had gone into that foundation, with a
crazy-quilt of seams among them. Here and there enlarging cracks offered
openings to the shallow crawl space behind them. Earth shifting, courtesy of forces like tree root expansion or earthquake action, plus the effects of freeze-thaw cycles, can crack and degrade
even sturdy walls over time. In some spots the base of the wall was actually coming unstuck and starting to dilapidate.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubbpCzBo2u2joP5QwoRWWgHWcpMc426Veb1oLUPkiZJbvdqvkvlIgOA1FHlyDELzCO_rhVs9xNutG1rmBmYYVhphE_UVN3iEG5GOq8KPLLR6bKmGi06BHge1l7r9yPww64vcRbQWdjea8/s1600/march+116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubbpCzBo2u2joP5QwoRWWgHWcpMc426Veb1oLUPkiZJbvdqvkvlIgOA1FHlyDELzCO_rhVs9xNutG1rmBmYYVhphE_UVN3iEG5GOq8KPLLR6bKmGi06BHge1l7r9yPww64vcRbQWdjea8/s1600/march+116.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>As roots grow and expand, they raise the soil above them, easily cracking rock walls</b></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-cVC3TAIHpYKVxiGiBXu_kend-QOaSNtXqSUtpZnjYszyDlhlW2UxlG7I74XdAhXO8axTNExyny69-1ep9BXU3JK8JGXwfbwx6-uxO-YSbsDFgk5CqHCme4dxIndYPgcl5NDd4c_zvEN/s1600/Ontario+plus+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-cVC3TAIHpYKVxiGiBXu_kend-QOaSNtXqSUtpZnjYszyDlhlW2UxlG7I74XdAhXO8axTNExyny69-1ep9BXU3JK8JGXwfbwx6-uxO-YSbsDFgk5CqHCme4dxIndYPgcl5NDd4c_zvEN/s1600/Ontario+plus+080.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This tree trunk has broken the section in front of it, now needing repair and likely to fail again</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I also began noticing signs of slapdash fix-ups, careless work that had simply smeared mortar across the face of the stone. These sloppy repairs (what the English call bodges) leapt to the eye like carbuncles. So of course my first thought as a naieve homeowner was to involve someone skilled
(‘call the plumber!’) to address the problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">But back then I didn’t know anything about stone
masonry, so I talked a bricklayer I’d hired to fix some spalling bricks
into patching an area on the south wall. I simply assumed the skills
needed were one and the same. He was a bit disinclined, a cue I should
have taken, but then agreed. Once his patching was done, I completely
got the hesitation. In contrast to the neat bands of mortar he placed precisely between
the courses of the bricks, his approach to stone involved smearing mortar
across the joints. I’m unsure why irregularity should cause that response in a
bricklayer, but the results were unfortunate for the look of the foundation. Later, I spent not a few hours chipping away the worst of the smeared cement to make the joints recede and restore something like the original look.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pmgBoL5n5DRl1kKxTy1-k_eaIeSYPR7Gzk60EycMBXxcP2Nhmb2wbHOF_sIlMfAhDXeIWwCdAhn1QlulkK-F9CL2mn9ZvHSzlk9kcTAbbYrma__6XnaCFQ0AiEFZmuvV4D3V-ADhYqVS/s1600/Grange+stub+182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pmgBoL5n5DRl1kKxTy1-k_eaIeSYPR7Gzk60EycMBXxcP2Nhmb2wbHOF_sIlMfAhDXeIWwCdAhn1QlulkK-F9CL2mn9ZvHSzlk9kcTAbbYrma__6XnaCFQ0AiEFZmuvV4D3V-ADhYqVS/s1600/Grange+stub+182.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Mortar smeared across the seams obscures the look of the stone wall</span></b></td></tr>
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHa6aPeaVm1fvy_Qxk86xZxiuuxPKqLn2PFCy32DgHsxBwuOCOLjZm7CQZAczEhCdalwOHwkS6H2HDyKm70nkT831rnBZpfYK5lx2rCXNhKd6ByZQwdBFgBeSwFp5yDCPQBpjWzQw9Ex6/s1600/Grange+stub+181.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHa6aPeaVm1fvy_Qxk86xZxiuuxPKqLn2PFCy32DgHsxBwuOCOLjZm7CQZAczEhCdalwOHwkS6H2HDyKm70nkT831rnBZpfYK5lx2rCXNhKd6ByZQwdBFgBeSwFp5yDCPQBpjWzQw9Ex6/s1600/Grange+stub+181.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A section of rubblestone foundation wall whose base has been rebuilt and repointed</b></span> </td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">While watching the bricklayer go at this work, I realized how
ungainly his attempts to get the mortar into these wandering seams actually
were. Using a pointed mason’s trowel for the carry and a smaller one to push
mortar into seams just didn’t cut it. A pointed trowel may be a great tool for
dressing a brick before placing it, but for infilling irregular seams in a
rubble stone wall it clearly wasn’t working. The outcome argued against continuing down this path. The
thought dawned that I myself needed to learn how this type of work should be done, so further damage to the look of the building was avoided. I don’t know why
I opted to get personally involved rather than just finding a skilled stone mason,
yet it was but a small step from there towards working directly with stone. </span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pW3PjdMq1hYuQVWULgqzYXmr1_dtH39w-GQe71ljvfcEHFDvrs4mXIOw6f17-eQziVu1lQa7jmJIjMxjqabG-cEPWcyqH0O5gwc6s9VgrX2iKtHJgnlzsyP-zPWPa-_kumXKcuxhS4bl/s1600/Early+November+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pW3PjdMq1hYuQVWULgqzYXmr1_dtH39w-GQe71ljvfcEHFDvrs4mXIOw6f17-eQziVu1lQa7jmJIjMxjqabG-cEPWcyqH0O5gwc6s9VgrX2iKtHJgnlzsyP-zPWPa-_kumXKcuxhS4bl/s1600/Early+November+028.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Continuing repair: base of a foundation pier needs attention</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">A stone base under a house creates a distinctive impression, gluing the building firmly to its site in a specific way. If the rock used is taken from the site itself and the building sits on bedrock, the house feels like it's one with the landscape. But let that look become marred by entombing the walls in concrete and the stone is demoted to an indistinct element in a matrix, causing the original
aesthetics to recede. Taken far enough, it disappears entirely. You may as well have a
full concrete foundation as have rocks masked by mortar. I thought it important not to go any further down that path.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uP63yTNhAscduxZz6qp_ZjZNjyafZuBmLtVsneRiUJcDQiR7p2E9nVGXSwhFhASNokbkeKG131cdSJjkQMXkmXsewXQeE6RYRwPhdhhhPXaYEsfzZkd0_tTfaQcQw6i9vLFUVS1KdBXR/s1600/Early+November+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uP63yTNhAscduxZz6qp_ZjZNjyafZuBmLtVsneRiUJcDQiR7p2E9nVGXSwhFhASNokbkeKG131cdSJjkQMXkmXsewXQeE6RYRwPhdhhhPXaYEsfzZkd0_tTfaQcQw6i9vLFUVS1KdBXR/s1600/Early+November+020.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Vertical seams with mortar slathered across them: messy work</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">So that's when I naievely started on what is now twenty-five years of working with stone and mortar to repair and make things. I wasn't DIY by nature, had no skill at all when I began, but was intrigued by the
medium and resolved about the importance of maintaining the heritage asset. And I was a gardener, so had some experience making loose rockery walls for beds, and had an inclination to pile rocks together as a result. I decided to begin by tackling the
most visible breach first, upping the ante considerably. It appeared at the centre
of a low wall between two tall battered piers supporting the house’s
most prominent feature – an elegant entry verandah that one walks by on route to
the front door. It appeared that a few weaker chunks of rock had popped apart, causing
a crack to appear. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuUVAZm6Xy0JLF5lV3KnBKF0CzpWnj1w3gFTsi-cWg8x8FOdH_CeMmnhLBXsS9xbUlzjU0dPDefMYGlpI0c4FYDL_r9co1JyBWYv34olpIc3-00VYBAactA54mj8FH5qk7NWy5YhkyleE/s1600/Early+November+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuUVAZm6Xy0JLF5lV3KnBKF0CzpWnj1w3gFTsi-cWg8x8FOdH_CeMmnhLBXsS9xbUlzjU0dPDefMYGlpI0c4FYDL_r9co1JyBWYv34olpIc3-00VYBAactA54mj8FH5qk7NWy5YhkyleE/s1600/Early+November+008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The scene of my first job: fixing a serious breach in the low wall between the two stone piers</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I hadn’t a clue how to go about making a repair, so I began by
observing some of the masonry work in progress around the region, which was mostly of the low stone wall type. Around Victoria rock is always breaking through the biosphere, dotting the landscape with outcrops and large hills not fully covered with vegetation. Bedrock breaking through the landscape defines dramatic contours, and loose rock on the surface seems to prompt a lot of boundary marking with stone walls. And because the material is local and often not much worked before using, the results can feel natural and fit for their surroundings. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPcx1nhxvUZT_F0Qx3ngDHG2Ws8B2cm63sxkne52E9N49Dbh0vYnjbcEI6udM77tyxjXbPka0hc7EMldLoHCr7bp9mJbtVrnT-4ye4iW9YQLXMprpLGuYZA49TBHscUtZTc_QyUOlyIlF/s1600/Early+November+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPcx1nhxvUZT_F0Qx3ngDHG2Ws8B2cm63sxkne52E9N49Dbh0vYnjbcEI6udM77tyxjXbPka0hc7EMldLoHCr7bp9mJbtVrnT-4ye4iW9YQLXMprpLGuYZA49TBHscUtZTc_QyUOlyIlF/s1600/Early+November+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A small knob of glaciated bedrock in a school yard protruding through the organic layer</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFf7Py5iFNRETkzVDBjLFBcp5gECqlcIru0K1xuh7PVy0UhdT0b4tscTHivBSJxOGnYqvr616bX7G_lXQkRSFWCuwekRCjlR9QnebGEK3ffN_8pW29fVRCMBzQEKXK4dWMh4AMBkl6RlO/s1600/lichen+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFf7Py5iFNRETkzVDBjLFBcp5gECqlcIru0K1xuh7PVy0UhdT0b4tscTHivBSJxOGnYqvr616bX7G_lXQkRSFWCuwekRCjlR9QnebGEK3ffN_8pW29fVRCMBzQEKXK4dWMh4AMBkl6RlO/s1600/lichen+018.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Rocky outcrops define a landscape that rises and falls, dotted with oak, fir and arbutus groves</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPGeRuUd-T5FuQ5H5njocXLoXBIwkYqNXO2Es35z3A5uZ7r_g51v3tW02RgfGa9Bj22BjrZ4YmmCVz-pNhDdD6nuyHmBCCibGvjZIxFAPRLeahxG_559gTehLPGmdvdhiE0wffSwJYg3S/s1600/Random+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPGeRuUd-T5FuQ5H5njocXLoXBIwkYqNXO2Es35z3A5uZ7r_g51v3tW02RgfGa9Bj22BjrZ4YmmCVz-pNhDdD6nuyHmBCCibGvjZIxFAPRLeahxG_559gTehLPGmdvdhiE0wffSwJYg3S/s1600/Random+034.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Victoria regional character: rocky outcrops, Gary oaks and rustic boundary walls</b></span><br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The operations I
observed and the masons I chatted with all used mortar made from scratch, combining
sand, cement and water in mechanical mixers to produce large batches at a time. My
first problem was that none of this apparatus would fit in at my site, which offered
no place to store and mix sand and cement that would not have been an eyesore
and in the way. Nor were industrial quantities of mortar actually needed for the
relatively small and picky repair work I’d be attempting. How to access mortar in small quantities was an initial obstacle to getting started.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdkDPzsc09sQubtNGoFEtun0RIUXzI44STsoYme-S6ZIL8rmW2QkX5c5fMGBboEajdli1XR2n5MDLnJTkfyvEoTwJLlsBzaehsCk0gcKiaiAc7p2SzfWBfJMipO7dcNwqQQ6FPI5idA0P/s1600/Halifax+details+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdkDPzsc09sQubtNGoFEtun0RIUXzI44STsoYme-S6ZIL8rmW2QkX5c5fMGBboEajdli1XR2n5MDLnJTkfyvEoTwJLlsBzaehsCk0gcKiaiAc7p2SzfWBfJMipO7dcNwqQQ6FPI5idA0P/s1600/Halifax+details+067.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bodged work stands out, covers faults, doesn't last</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Things stalled there for a while, until the puzzle of making mortar solved itself with the discovery that it came premixed in 25-kilo bags – not exactly a blinding insight, but until you know
of the possibility, it doesn't exist. I learned about it by chance, in a buddy’s back
garden, when he enthusiastically shared his rather exuberant approach to building a low retaining
wall. I watched fascinated as he whipped up a small batch of mortar in a plastic
pail (‘just add water and stir’), then proceeded to use another one of those pointed
trowels to rather awkwardly place it. It was a eureka-moment - here was a way to make mortar that was manageable for repairs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">If sourcing mortar is essential, it’s also necessary to
have tools suited to the work of mixing it up and placing it without undue mess. There things remained
murky a while longer. To repair an existing wall, you need a way of
transferring small quantities of mortar to niches of varying size. This is
quite picky work. And moist mortar is prone to sliding on metal, a bit unpredictably. And you need to place it with enough precision, in awkward spaces and odd angles, to avoid marring the face of your stones. Otherwise, you risk the look of entombment, which is pointless and inartistic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0LFp9vFGmTvrbF2oZhVgVJe5JlFf7ScgbCcbQIkBnItmmqRrMB9DMQ71aFVUUHtRHrNa5UZod3k0eXkHwwwDUeqW_Y7LCHK55jRMmiEEMSWY9C82dajmkMSdnw_i1hGb9QXB0wqg9jeK/s1600/batch+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0LFp9vFGmTvrbF2oZhVgVJe5JlFf7ScgbCcbQIkBnItmmqRrMB9DMQ71aFVUUHtRHrNa5UZod3k0eXkHwwwDUeqW_Y7LCHK55jRMmiEEMSWY9C82dajmkMSdnw_i1hGb9QXB0wqg9jeK/s1600/batch+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Successive bodges mar this ill-fated stone wall, which even retrofitted drains aren't saving</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oeaZdMIUrFbauC7d0uZOd7Rm7MLFyCLgNHoOz_Xf4pnou_dzN0XM-fo7yPPlflA_76iCvhSgfD61Mxnb-XhZj4g7bgfhkwApEhi0PZHYbjgVR8iQQnvUatzE752Je7CYMtrDJfwHqUxL/s1600/Ontario+plus+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oeaZdMIUrFbauC7d0uZOd7Rm7MLFyCLgNHoOz_Xf4pnou_dzN0XM-fo7yPPlflA_76iCvhSgfD61Mxnb-XhZj4g7bgfhkwApEhi0PZHYbjgVR8iQQnvUatzE752Je7CYMtrDJfwHqUxL/s1600/Ontario+plus+057.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Stone retreating behind slathered mortar, a once-artful artifact now imprisoned in concrete</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">As I began preparing the breach for repair, I anxiously watched the opening enlarge beyond the apparent problem and the scale of the job increase in tandem. I'd improvised a partial solution
to the transfer problem by selecting a compact drywall knife in preference to a
trowel. Initially I chose it just to mix up the mortar in a pail – its continuing
utility evolved naturally from there. A compact blade offers a horizontal platform
from which small quantities of mortar can be eased into seams<b>. </b> I am still using Quebec-made Richard knives to this day,
both for repair and for new construction.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwlAwBoDEW8Hi4cYv7ZSG9QEAnusUBpVdQmlJ5OGFCIU9hsi6H68BNZBFpj6CLwBdstMU08QYKbkdDlyOeK4WCwCiKydaphElhqcMK9zbOecIpTATyFauGb69gQehttWJ4K6brxVQ-hlx/s1600/Early+November+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwlAwBoDEW8Hi4cYv7ZSG9QEAnusUBpVdQmlJ5OGFCIU9hsi6H68BNZBFpj6CLwBdstMU08QYKbkdDlyOeK4WCwCiKydaphElhqcMK9zbOecIpTATyFauGb69gQehttWJ4K6brxVQ-hlx/s1600/Early+November+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Top, pointed mason's trowel, below, Richard knife, a practical tool for repairing joints</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yet another tool was needed in order to transfer the mortar from the
knife to the seam and to work it into place. One day, watching a city worker setting
stones in a piece of sidewalk art, I noticed he was
using a table knife to fill and dress the openings. He allowed that he’d ‘borrowed’
it many years back from his wife, but hadn't ever returned it. He used its narrow blade deftly to work the outside of the seam, so the mortar stayed within the lines and even had a bit of a finished look to
it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Intrigued, I borrowed an older knife from my own kitchen, a strong
but thin steel blade with a bit of ‘give’ to it. The combination of firmness
and give allows a surface tension that’s useful in working mortar into
crevices. It mimics the design of a mason’s pointing tool, which has a similar
spring or tension to it. I soon realized I would need to get mortar into spaces too tight for the width of the knife's blade, so I
also acquired several of the pointing tools used by masons (I'm still mystified why the
mason I originally hired opted not to use pointing tools to push the mortar into the seams!). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g3MOjcsEMxPsqU9Ibv7MiNjr4RiAi0eRdI5xsCXsN-LSZCN6DEOLyk6J11PZDxaPGbO2L7cp6lOffCy7uPcu5N4MEOGEnGvpSWlsfKXP_dwalxo5QKZDsfXOf7fOuo3IWHJHIICDQ9PC/s1600/Early+November+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g3MOjcsEMxPsqU9Ibv7MiNjr4RiAi0eRdI5xsCXsN-LSZCN6DEOLyk6J11PZDxaPGbO2L7cp6lOffCy7uPcu5N4MEOGEnGvpSWlsfKXP_dwalxo5QKZDsfXOf7fOuo3IWHJHIICDQ9PC/s1600/Early+November+041.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Basic tools: the original kitchen knife (right), drywall knife, and four tuck pointers</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">While I was still stymied by the challenge
of making mortar, I bravely allowed myself to start the job by removing the defective
pieces. This phase of repair typically establishes the real scope of a project, as loose
material behind the breach comes to light. Here it revealed the presence of a
brick pier, obviously meant to support the verandah floor in the vertical plane
but now tilting alarmingly due to brick disintegrating where it contacted wet ground. Evidently it was the movement of the pier that had caused the wall to crack and come apart. This new problem caused me some anxiety about proceeding at my skill level, but I decided it was better to know about it and attempt a repair than to
neglect it and soon cause a bigger problem. I was also realizing I'd have to replace some
rocks that had actually broken apart, and that compatible materials needed to be found.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfeFayt_MrPDN6AyP-ak1OWm9gSLkJ2FN2ph656xmPsNATNJS7UR8_lT8lgawQczLDVKuNO5unpGZmudx9N2Kv2GpGyTEBiW50RglDp6yvMV5ICazHYBEkoB1A25UxxFpBXhhnbdG-5bJ/s1600/CUBBERLY_Page_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfeFayt_MrPDN6AyP-ak1OWm9gSLkJ2FN2ph656xmPsNATNJS7UR8_lT8lgawQczLDVKuNO5unpGZmudx9N2Kv2GpGyTEBiW50RglDp6yvMV5ICazHYBEkoB1A25UxxFpBXhhnbdG-5bJ/s1600/CUBBERLY_Page_12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1989: the leaning brick pier, replacement stone in front of opening, and pointing tools</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Getting to the point of mortaring anything took a very long
time, but a logic for placement emerged once I located some suitable stone
and dry-fitted it as best I could. A skilled stone mason would be able to visualize an outcome
without needing to mock it up, but as a beginner I needed to see in advance as
best I could. The trick lies in finding material that mates well with what is already in place, so the patch doesn't call attention to
itself. Here the challenge was to fill up the opening as much as possible with a single piece while maintaining a vertical alignment consistent with the rest of the wall. And then to place it and seal it as though it had always been there, leaving no blatant traces of repair. It complicated matters that in this location the bedrock dipped somewhat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">There was a lot of loose rock lying about the place, but
nothing that felt right for the opening I was dealing with. So I began scouring
highway cuts and old excavations looking for local materials, which back then could
more readily be found. Finding useable material is part of every job, and
compatibility is always an issue when working on an existing structure and striving for seamless repair. Nothing
shouts 'bodge' like stark contrasts in materials – unless it’s sloppily applied
mortar. My first structure was well-weathered at seventy-five years of age, made of local stone of various colours and textures – the opposite of ‘green’
stone of uniform colour. Mating new and old was a challenge that had to be met
with careful selection. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdFrOfjGw0r2_rcvF7R7uyj1MB6ryKy4O8_6YCJzbflYxO02nuHtVKHHTyUX779VzS5neIpt5isLtB3A3K23npIs78R7N4qmnWkNR9OwL6fubAYFEkuGYtkfEU1MejUYpgigizkvgLtrh/s1600/Spring+2009+297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdFrOfjGw0r2_rcvF7R7uyj1MB6ryKy4O8_6YCJzbflYxO02nuHtVKHHTyUX779VzS5neIpt5isLtB3A3K23npIs78R7N4qmnWkNR9OwL6fubAYFEkuGYtkfEU1MejUYpgigizkvgLtrh/s1600/Spring+2009+297.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Above and below: many years on the repair is still holding, doesn't stand out as incongruous</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPmm4nuGogXNZFTHNx8mkDmPrTrkPX5dZ0BCfBiQgpMXvKLMZ5KHqRIsC1gE3pQunrG9xQVf3sAAXN6qc5Dzm7L16_xjy3XhpVbNNjnaIaAwOwXyAZXhMcfcyH0f8H-7pZWvdOLCjQbu1/s1600/Early+November+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPmm4nuGogXNZFTHNx8mkDmPrTrkPX5dZ0BCfBiQgpMXvKLMZ5KHqRIsC1gE3pQunrG9xQVf3sAAXN6qc5Dzm7L16_xjy3XhpVbNNjnaIaAwOwXyAZXhMcfcyH0f8H-7pZWvdOLCjQbu1/s1600/Early+November+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></b></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Eventually I found what I thought was a suitable piece for
the biggest opening, then assembled a supporting cast of smaller pieces to fill gaps to neighbouring stones as well as other crannies in the wall. It took a painfully long
time to complete this small project, a result of proceeding slowly with awkward hands learning to slide mortar carefully into place (a moving target
that) and then smooth it to a uniform face. A comparable
awkwardness might be the one a boy experiences when first trying to guide a razor over the contours of the face. The kitchen knife however quickly proved invaluable, and in time a
rudimentary process for transferring mortar evolved. The trick was keeping it where wanted despite gravity-fueled tendencies to travel where it wasn't. I kept a wet sponge and toothbrush handy for cleaning sloppage from the stones. Vertical seams
are bedeviling, even to this day. A special tool for vertical placement is an obvious gap in the repairer's tool bag.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb11mhmtj42stl2QCsK2afW8X-0p-uQwHCNr-3xEjevmOEWYJn_tNHeEMuYEmzDM8xg1naBmaWW7zgePLiGsPCSm_xS5TIhyphenhyphen6aMyAnGWpmd5pPv0fLxtby-LLWBIEQf4QuvEX7PKV4AsuV/s1600/Grange+stub+187.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="424" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A massive stone pier that also turned out to need repair</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When finally completed, this first project gave me a sense of satisfaction far beyond the modest scope of the work. I felt I’d opened a door to the world of stone building and won some knowledge through the execution of the work, despite offending many
rules I was then totally unaware of. And while my hands would be busy with
restorative projects indefinitely, completing just one prompted me to wonder what
it would be like to make something from scratch. That experience lay close to hand: while passing many an hour staring at the repair's slow progress, I'd also noticed that the
massive uprights supporting the verandah roof were beginning to come unstuck at the
base. While one of these could be repaired as was, my
intuitive feeling was that the other needed a foot, or plinth, added to truly secure it. It appeared that there was a brick support at the heart of the stone pier, and that as with the wall, the bricks were spalling where the base sat on moist rock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looking back on it, this was a very big leap for a newbie.
The implications were potentially large, because I was about to modify an original design that was substantially intact. Indeed, aesthetically and from a distance, it wasn't at all evident that anything needed to be done. But looked at closely and carefully, it was obvious that it did or else risk the integrity of the original down the road. And I knew I wasn't capable of rebuilding that pier to its current standard. So I
decided I would proceed by laying out the design for a base completely before placing any stone permanently –
and only go ahead when I was satisfied it would be aesthetically compatible. This was a brave step along the problem-finding/problem-solving continuum.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KxlWG5N3zQMs7WIGachvZMt2KuaKsxjkVCQcYupW9rJdDvjzi2K0g82rqFxGV6abA3QynDXWGayaEVZnQdM6zZL6p_QJwkhLBN6P7wSDJy6qCnPGgThL4SHEpw9YCzGk2nf59Of7QsW_/s1600/Grange+stub+217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KxlWG5N3zQMs7WIGachvZMt2KuaKsxjkVCQcYupW9rJdDvjzi2K0g82rqFxGV6abA3QynDXWGayaEVZnQdM6zZL6p_QJwkhLBN6P7wSDJy6qCnPGgThL4SHEpw9YCzGk2nf59Of7QsW_/s1600/Grange+stub+217.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The goal was to make the plinth feel like it was always there</b></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This second job led to more searching for appropriate
materials that fit the existing composition. It was only a minor amount of new construction, but visually it had
to be right and so it too advanced at a glacial pace. As compatibility was imperative, I studied the shape of the existing construction and the way the rocks had been put together for a subtly rustic effect. Eventually, by endless playing around, I got what I thought was a goodish look, meaning one that
wouldn't stand out as incongruous or arbitrary. And with my evolving skill in
placing mortar, the job moved slowly but steadily forward in execution (new construction is far easier than repair for managing the mortar). When I look back on this small yet prominent project,
I’m amazed I tackled it with so little experience. In effect, this repair is
what launched me on the path of new building with stone. Looking at it twenty five years on, I take satisfaction from the fact that the eye doesn't notice anything that's amiss, that what was an original artistic ensemble before my hand was on it, remains one after. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8zg7IaBebxsDRvNic7FpZwS3CpPRtjXh2pfrCj-jzbk3PG0X8PDH2fokzYQCAcioa6_u8obieWDcFCEJlb05sH3lKYRdHhYKQyBpzo1PId8uAQZ9RnF8asF2gla4X-SwRe4z09CEJkec/s1600/Grange+stub+216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8zg7IaBebxsDRvNic7FpZwS3CpPRtjXh2pfrCj-jzbk3PG0X8PDH2fokzYQCAcioa6_u8obieWDcFCEJlb05sH3lKYRdHhYKQyBpzo1PId8uAQZ9RnF8asF2gla4X-SwRe4z09CEJkec/s1600/Grange+stub+216.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Powder lichen and other elements of weathering help the new base feel like its part of the whole</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Down the line there were many such repairs (still are) plus
a whole lot of dry stacked garden walls between me and the next bit of new stone construction. But my choice to tackle repair myself had launched me on a path that continues to elaborate itself 25 years on. I haven't become a stone mason by any means and it's probably too late to acquire true journeyman's skills in any systematic way, but my skillset has developed in the ways needed to do the jobs of repair and addition required in my own milieu. And using those skills has become an increasingly expressive act that continues to hold my imagination. More on that in future posts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWfjR7eIIilEhpny8UkxDQ7JrHShFIloDHH9HbSzUxZtxPM1NT2EgKiZTcGhGgyU92Pte3tBqMJg0neObGA9SnMUxE8YnrfwVwgP5ijgPCVc7W_mwMhBJ_f2mHjl2NVVj35raVElkzlTK/s1600/dennis-photo-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWfjR7eIIilEhpny8UkxDQ7JrHShFIloDHH9HbSzUxZtxPM1NT2EgKiZTcGhGgyU92Pte3tBqMJg0neObGA9SnMUxE8YnrfwVwgP5ijgPCVc7W_mwMhBJ_f2mHjl2NVVj35raVElkzlTK/s1600/dennis-photo-300.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Dedication</b>: this piece is affectionately dedicated to my too-early-departed friend Dennis McGann, a hugely talented designer, communicator, and artist who, among many important things, inadvertently turned me on to bagged mortar. Dennis respected and cultivated craft in all his doings and equality in all his dealings with people. He was a fine person, sorely missed.</i></span></div>
David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7077037615428590765.post-26113658275400332822014-01-26T09:39:00.001-08:002014-01-26T09:39:10.054-08:00Ontario's stone farmhouses<h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Over the years I've taken many drives through the countryside around Waterloo, Ontario, where rolling farmlands dotted with woodlots and sugar bushes still show occasional stone farm buildings with great character. A fascination with their multi-hued granite walls has led me to wonder what explains their presence among much more numerous brick farmhouses, and what accounts for there appearing to be two distinct styles of stone masonry at work? Some showcase more prominent individual stones that often appear in block-like chunks, while others utilize smaller and more randomly sized stones overlain with lavish quantities of mortar.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Cy9nIycK3Q40N5gFjq-G3BSd_6AwXsggXd_6zePFMwqtrXfXRGzo9gcOHKMIryT-2TuYx4ib1ayyPCsykvAQaLUmiSw4ttullAlS5Sy3-QGPmDOvD_YblDSdmaou188XONpoc4dQPaSr/s1600/Xmas+2013+161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Cy9nIycK3Q40N5gFjq-G3BSd_6AwXsggXd_6zePFMwqtrXfXRGzo9gcOHKMIryT-2TuYx4ib1ayyPCsykvAQaLUmiSw4ttullAlS5Sy3-QGPmDOvD_YblDSdmaou188XONpoc4dQPaSr/s640/Xmas+2013+161.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A farmhouse near Shakespeare, Ontario, made from blocks of colourful stone</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On a visit over the 2013 holiday season, I decided to photograph a few of these magnificent structures and inquire further into their origins. I wanted to know where the richly hued rocks used to make these 150-year-old walls came from, given there are few if any granite outcrops in surrounding counties? I learned that the stone for these farmhouses wasn't quarried from bedrock, but consists of granite fieldstones distributed by retreating glacial moraines whose parent glacier carried them down from the distant Canadian shield. Glacial pressure and tumbling likely rounded them into smooth boulders during their long southeast migration. The original breaking and clearing of the land for agriculture, in the early to mid-eighteen hundreds, supplied the stock of stone used to construct these unique buildings. Their finished look derives from the work done on these available materials by people with craft skills of differing origins. This plume of buried granite boulders only covers certain parts of Ontario, explaining why stone buildings in other areas tend to be of materials like the limestone in Elora and Fergus that was quarried from river gorges. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYISkI6M_SfUn-lWQnYF_beWWXyq0S1zXcNlYR0RFjZ6wobNeRac7AvI54TqT6VeFQOfWh52_Cf3LPJ12qStqEBS6oKgX9M5wdRoDmTCoqGRVf5ITnVhzjVzS5mIt4KWwGNkB0rzvSYY4F/s1600/Xmas+2013+217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYISkI6M_SfUn-lWQnYF_beWWXyq0S1zXcNlYR0RFjZ6wobNeRac7AvI54TqT6VeFQOfWh52_Cf3LPJ12qStqEBS6oKgX9M5wdRoDmTCoqGRVf5ITnVhzjVzS5mIt4KWwGNkB0rzvSYY4F/s1600/Xmas+2013+217.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A plain farmhouse made of irregular fieldstone overlain heavily with mortar</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The two most frequent types of granite masonry work in Waterloo and surrounding counties differ completely in approach, texture and effect. One, pictured above and below, involves a loose and generous use of mortar, to the point of obscuring the individual character of the stones. It doesn't try to achieve more than a rudimentary impression of courses (horizontal layers of stone). The rocks are held in place by the matrix and no trouble is taken to disguise that fact. While this could be read as crude or rustic work, the effect with aging is soft and appealing to the eye and the structures themselves have proven durable. When carpentry touches are added, like the porch with turned columns below, the results are aesthetically pleasing.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDsY6-KAxbIHyplwdL0mRm-fIrvOHwVCPD3OIJYF83kKdYAmLpCBJzmoYN5G129OrlyK7mLGR4-quwAa-OrP6xKxjDp4Yx9jf9rwmpUf7BSWfldmjvDa3dvZMUWSWWpZ76vlFQJtJd67j/s1600/Xmas+2013+276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDsY6-KAxbIHyplwdL0mRm-fIrvOHwVCPD3OIJYF83kKdYAmLpCBJzmoYN5G129OrlyK7mLGR4-quwAa-OrP6xKxjDp4Yx9jf9rwmpUf7BSWfldmjvDa3dvZMUWSWWpZ76vlFQJtJd67j/s640/Xmas+2013+276.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> Granite boulders float in broad mortar seams in a loose, utilitarian style of stonework </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvwYwAWpJmNSBFV0MOKzIYa3MiG27IDi1Uas29b8JFPx-AsNrAONhcRxKAdZSSfy6dzVG-D-WcMSsuW7Dv9WGvuT3Hx-s3qNUFGb96zWwhfLWsi9SrnBw_FZt6dq8vFnTxcKsuNFkvDg0/s1600/Xmas+2013+221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvwYwAWpJmNSBFV0MOKzIYa3MiG27IDi1Uas29b8JFPx-AsNrAONhcRxKAdZSSfy6dzVG-D-WcMSsuW7Dv9WGvuT3Hx-s3qNUFGb96zWwhfLWsi9SrnBw_FZt6dq8vFnTxcKsuNFkvDg0/s640/Xmas+2013+221.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Here some effort has gone into squaring the boulders, producing a neater finish</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaW784fcKfETeFVcfRyoFB66yW2ZTFXaFAkS55RfrpsBEzeFX4vwclkr527Gh3VW2NjeLoE6cXN_f8gwDJHnoFxf5vGbXgpKr8mh-rrjj3dazFiQxqUKcj3GaFkSnlzzTAQQt_173kLbJ0/s1600/Xmas+2013+236.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaW784fcKfETeFVcfRyoFB66yW2ZTFXaFAkS55RfrpsBEzeFX4vwclkr527Gh3VW2NjeLoE6cXN_f8gwDJHnoFxf5vGbXgpKr8mh-rrjj3dazFiQxqUKcj3GaFkSnlzzTAQQt_173kLbJ0/s1600/Xmas+2013+236.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Above and below, granite blocks have been more neatly trimmed and set in regular courses</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMXDdZyQk2O6ULOJA0aVvNpB20lRIXWfUPUw6M9UffQdlxSv8JK7_YLbd_DHGtgX_aHpY0kcCa_v8no4GVKyFjpCs54vSqxVTHgSPD9jUIuwkR_zDbOgGrlidvcMifPqfKb8aiftQFr2f/s1600/Xmas+2013+283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMXDdZyQk2O6ULOJA0aVvNpB20lRIXWfUPUw6M9UffQdlxSv8JK7_YLbd_DHGtgX_aHpY0kcCa_v8no4GVKyFjpCs54vSqxVTHgSPD9jUIuwkR_zDbOgGrlidvcMifPqfKb8aiftQFr2f/s640/Xmas+2013+283.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The differences in approach and style are accounted for by the two distinct building traditions imported into Ontario via immigration in the early and middle nineteenth century. One group of settlers came from parts of Germany where there were traditions of building with random fieldstones, which allowed farmers to take immediate advantage of the plentiful supply unearthed by breaking the soil. The German way of working with this stone is utilitarian and rustic, involving no real effort to dress it or even to carefully select a presentation face. The effect of this matter-of-fact use of stones in a great deal of matrix can nonetheless be quite appealing, as illustrated below.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXbD_-3c5ZZZbYCuc4QXzzGmtJnyYdT1r85F-YDbJ65NakB-_pVXZNqDhLI1BMo2kM7Yg3VqlaAKZzqvEqbRoitS0X4o9Hw2klNBF2peo-lQQuNdCxDKytwLS_i0oA7FMUk9JhVxGKBDu/s1600/Xmas+2013+263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXbD_-3c5ZZZbYCuc4QXzzGmtJnyYdT1r85F-YDbJ65NakB-_pVXZNqDhLI1BMo2kM7Yg3VqlaAKZzqvEqbRoitS0X4o9Hw2klNBF2peo-lQQuNdCxDKytwLS_i0oA7FMUk9JhVxGKBDu/s640/Xmas+2013+263.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A fine old building, once a church or school, in the German style of stone building</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The example above superbly illustrates this masonry style, in which structural elements like corner quoins or lintels above the windows are fancifully used rather than precisely worked for solidity of effect. The German masons used mortar lavishly in order to develop their ultimate structural integrity. This would have been a relatively quick way of building with available stone (assuming a dependable supply of materials for mortar), with little time and effort invested in squaring up resistant boulders. The architectural effect however exceeds the utilitarian quality of construction, its own particular beauty softened and polished by weathering.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPsNF-YuYsI9jEWgPqgBUO505Cz-CV4-qQqTg1OzIpVN0MnIBo597kOQtFTvHFGwEYdHIsqKrHCmKu0yySqfEhpIfvglYk2SFmJpXq-K2kMSEk6Kc5mK1cMfdCI7GlPTcySd24NpouCdk/s1600/Xmas+2013+248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPsNF-YuYsI9jEWgPqgBUO505Cz-CV4-qQqTg1OzIpVN0MnIBo597kOQtFTvHFGwEYdHIsqKrHCmKu0yySqfEhpIfvglYk2SFmJpXq-K2kMSEk6Kc5mK1cMfdCI7GlPTcySd24NpouCdk/s1600/Xmas+2013+248.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The soft brown mortar lines blend multi-hued granite into a pleasing whole</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFlgBsfMXlPXvt6dW0kngv2kFSoLPrboQVkkx3rXNums0qNtMQP7YZE9jkZWvFw5KXMVAz_jlqGQGJQT2ogyTmNU7hBiv8luOH9_cCPccFvGSaClH49JeSVv20Oaqn_LBxkFyMwyPwScj/s1600/Xmas+2013+262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFlgBsfMXlPXvt6dW0kngv2kFSoLPrboQVkkx3rXNums0qNtMQP7YZE9jkZWvFw5KXMVAz_jlqGQGJQT2ogyTmNU7hBiv8luOH9_cCPccFvGSaClH49JeSVv20Oaqn_LBxkFyMwyPwScj/s640/Xmas+2013+262.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Stone building was being supplanted by rail-supplied brick buildings by the time this was built</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisii3QBwp-ri8d6JrPkT9Dmim2Vm9it_9ZhrZFNOhPKlI9nzbzeMtJtfpqCDmUTMPz0On4vHhUAjMaTwGVi7l0O7ddjK593Tt5Hu-U7c1g5mpHW1Kn-NQnRyT26VkBUFIeWkYr3_eIqfXa/s1600/Xmas+2013+253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisii3QBwp-ri8d6JrPkT9Dmim2Vm9it_9ZhrZFNOhPKlI9nzbzeMtJtfpqCDmUTMPz0On4vHhUAjMaTwGVi7l0O7ddjK593Tt5Hu-U7c1g5mpHW1Kn-NQnRyT26VkBUFIeWkYr3_eIqfXa/s640/Xmas+2013+253.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A modern cement chimney rather mars an otherwise pristine stone facade</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-J3BJCA8kwkpfgt-QpUQKRZJcV7vCgxbZC0cXZWaHPJ6m8sP4j3fJK9E7NoasYY0IwWy0rQL9vFzKdabFbNu5bKXq9H6tMYGz9ZmP1oj1HDnMMAznDWYfxAnjUOhheL5KIRmyLd06e8i/s1600/Xmas+2013+258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-J3BJCA8kwkpfgt-QpUQKRZJcV7vCgxbZC0cXZWaHPJ6m8sP4j3fJK9E7NoasYY0IwWy0rQL9vFzKdabFbNu5bKXq9H6tMYGz9ZmP1oj1HDnMMAznDWYfxAnjUOhheL5KIRmyLd06e8i/s640/Xmas+2013+258.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mortar applied copiously with little effort to refine or tidy the presentation</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The second pattern of stonework is a product of Scottish immigration, which brought skill in controlled splitting and careful shaping of even very hard stone. It also brought a distinct aesthetic sense expressed through a tendency towards careful selection. This masonry style achieves a much more precise and expressive use of granite boulders, which as pictured below have been made rectangular and carefully selected for colour harmonies. The technique is impressive, as granite is among the hardest of stones (some say second only to diamonds). As found, the boulders would have muted colour due to glacial grinding, but once split reveal incredible diversity and vibrancy of colour. And these interior colours have remained fast over their 150 years of exposure, their denseness having inhibited weathering and kept organic action at bay.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Entry facades often received a formal treatment with tightly coursed granite blocks</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I owe much of my recent insight into the Scottish style of stonework to a chance encounter with Bill Shivas, owner of a stone farmhouse who also restores these heritage structures. He was outside when I stopped to ask permission to photograph his house, and a fruitful conversation ensued. Bill understands how these structures were put together and why various things were done, and he comes to it all from the perspective of a practicing stone mason involved in repairing and maintaining them. His splendid 1864 farmhouse is pictured above, here showing the original entry-wall to which the farm driveway once conducted visitors. Bill says the masons took particular care to dress this facade, giving it a high degree of formality by shaping large, irregular granite boulders to look like blocks of quarried stone. These are of more subdued and subtle colour variation than the adjacent walls, which are comprised of more random shapes. Also, windows and front doorway have been set into a gently contrasting hue of stone, for an even more subtle effect. It's fascinating that these masons were able to achieve such refined looks from such tough raw materials. The time it would have taken to split it so evenly and trim it to fit so closely suggests that the original farmer was a person of considerable means, an inference reinforced by the many artful touches in the home's fine interior joinery.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgqQ85UBhiJsI3D52WR47bLi2F2hKMjuitnYG8Of1uSSxMcgQpXFFYPTrTBnOdLsdwREdVFb3Kt7gABgDzPwM0GPQyglfczAuyGbId11WIWJRsUxXyefiZoMs47hgSmL3eMcWtwHD__ln/s1600/Xmas+2013+295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgqQ85UBhiJsI3D52WR47bLi2F2hKMjuitnYG8Of1uSSxMcgQpXFFYPTrTBnOdLsdwREdVFb3Kt7gABgDzPwM0GPQyglfczAuyGbId11WIWJRsUxXyefiZoMs47hgSmL3eMcWtwHD__ln/s640/Xmas+2013+295.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A random assortment of split fieldstone pleasingly fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Compare the front entry wall to the side wall pictured above, which is of more randomly shaped fieldstone, yet closely fitted into courses with what appear to be ultra-fine mortar bands.The exuberant use of these stones, coupled with the feeling of close aesthetic control, is absolutely stunning to my eye. It's very difficult to conceive of modern masons being able to achieve this sort of fitting with hand tools.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqmMyWb055LjxnxkM6fY-c9t-c8_h2uR53hTCAof2Mr3GCgO_Vhon_eLzQhxN3w4lmY-Tt_By9DCJRqpmX4HrBcPkq8Z2D_-i6TV1ST9Duln-H6hyphenhyphenytne6zJ-bH5uwJXuHg7uiAgbllrV/s1600/Xmas+2013+299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqmMyWb055LjxnxkM6fY-c9t-c8_h2uR53hTCAof2Mr3GCgO_Vhon_eLzQhxN3w4lmY-Tt_By9DCJRqpmX4HrBcPkq8Z2D_-i6TV1ST9Duln-H6hyphenhyphenytne6zJ-bH5uwJXuHg7uiAgbllrV/s640/Xmas+2013+299.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Corner blocks align with rubblestone on this side wall</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bill revealed several significant facts about the Scottish style of masonry practiced in nineteenth century Ontario: these buildings are erected so carefully that they would stand securely without any mortar at all - the bonding agent between stones is not in fact structural. When he repairs one of these walls, he finds every stone is chinked, rock is resting directly on rock. The Scots are said to have used the mortar only to make the building draft-proof and to prevent water penetrating. The second thing Bill revealed is that the practice of applying a thin band of white mortar over a seam, or originally of running a thin groove through the centre of the mortar and whitening it, is an aesthetic device used to enhance the impression of preciseness of fit. Practically this technique serves to diminish the visual weight of the mortar bands and increase the impression of regular coursing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">While the skill in splitting, trimming and close fitting of hard stone was imported, the application to granitic boulders dispersed eons before by glaciers was a unique, on-site response to local conditions and building materials. Boulder splitting per se wasn't a building tradition from their native Scotland, but rather evolved as an adaptation to the nature of materials available in abundance. Stone in their native Scotland was typically quarried from a source and dressed into regular shapes. A more traditional application of these skills is the church in Galt, Ontario pictured below, made mostly of quarried stone.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ1FYdGDJfjGoQVdC4G7yx-ITfgDgIO9jzw4R-E4utomz6ApR5vII2KnImzw-nHETBRP6V7U8q4jXp332FeHmxRKeQqMNBBWWkoxuX_TTVRcygOAyNvU9QuvOg6keHFDiVvYvW9wJTCUE/s1600/Xmas+2013+116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ1FYdGDJfjGoQVdC4G7yx-ITfgDgIO9jzw4R-E4utomz6ApR5vII2KnImzw-nHETBRP6V7U8q4jXp332FeHmxRKeQqMNBBWWkoxuX_TTVRcygOAyNvU9QuvOg6keHFDiVvYvW9wJTCUE/s1600/Xmas+2013+116.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Church of the era made largely of quarried stone</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bill shared an interesting story about how his own place came to be that gives context to this emerging response to local conditions by people with masonry skills. He said the masons who built the house first dug and constructed a basement during the building months, then built a temporary roof over it so they could inhabit it for the winter. Throughout the long, cold winter they completed the selecting, splitting and shaping of the stones for future walls, so their materials were ready for the main build when spring 1864 rolled around. It's hard to imagine living in a basement and working in winter temperatures at splitting and shaping fieldstones with a hammer and chisels - these were definitely hardy folk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The following pictures illustrate the application of decorative mortar lines to reduce the apparent width of the true mortar bands necessitated by irregularities in the stone shapes. These thin, more regular lines give the finished wall an even more fitted look. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEe6WLWZC78nonMtsJ4V8PLAmREpbduL7Katc7KFktsZ4RAbAgidvrzCCMw2XXLFinqE7icRNLO6r_F8jf8EmbBQm3QuexJf9gFOF1MAJXOQERdQFU-nddKntonKkIF4siv-D-hmrUp5rg/s1600/Xmas+2013+298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEe6WLWZC78nonMtsJ4V8PLAmREpbduL7Katc7KFktsZ4RAbAgidvrzCCMw2XXLFinqE7icRNLO6r_F8jf8EmbBQm3QuexJf9gFOF1MAJXOQERdQFU-nddKntonKkIF4siv-D-hmrUp5rg/s640/Xmas+2013+298.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Close-up showing thin decorative bands placed on mortar seams</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs7TNDcHAPnVAf89_FJK9JNcKkiN9pazAloMzdJlRlRIPLiM8qjjbLfExRh-QrS8zF2EDjYmtQ1oemjlfrj-JJzN6_nby-rxNtWmzS4bmPt3jvJjL9lrSbiL1htRP-JnN8_WUjCl0tbzx/s1600/Xmas+2013+304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs7TNDcHAPnVAf89_FJK9JNcKkiN9pazAloMzdJlRlRIPLiM8qjjbLfExRh-QrS8zF2EDjYmtQ1oemjlfrj-JJzN6_nby-rxNtWmzS4bmPt3jvJjL9lrSbiL1htRP-JnN8_WUjCl0tbzx/s640/Xmas+2013+304.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Chunk of original exterior wall showing rectilinear grooves with vestiges of white paint</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Below is a restoration project that Bill is picking away at on a neighbouring farm (stone work is slow, methodical work, and Bill now works alone). This lovely stone farmhouse is complimented by a little dairy shed (near dilapidation) and an original blacksmith's shop, where the metal tools and hardware needed on a farm could be manufactured. Once the house is done, Bill intends to tackle both dairy shed and smithy.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZG3F9QeiKhIxx2E4D4X_B57V40eUEKJKUeE9-llp5AVrbZqkYryCzVP6je9N1LLEzW3iVubtuV4ZzR51pCmOgAm7oy_eLwQRg_x-uavdMp1Zz6m64RiX9YjPj4svnjJfjHV2CkTK-0NY/s1600/Xmas+2013+311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZG3F9QeiKhIxx2E4D4X_B57V40eUEKJKUeE9-llp5AVrbZqkYryCzVP6je9N1LLEzW3iVubtuV4ZzR51pCmOgAm7oy_eLwQRg_x-uavdMp1Zz6m64RiX9YjPj4svnjJfjHV2CkTK-0NY/s640/Xmas+2013+311.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Repointed and repaired facades of an early stone farmhouse (circa 1860)</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_XBXjRq-9ZobMHSuRfqh7KidsXBPXls3iXg7FTktBUTllGuwO-P51ZODiVm8PMPNL3-8gvn8TRaauXApHr5U8DOuMS_bAOrDusDIq0etsIrnakaV_5LKnVksNlF97yXAqZqS6mrlBXXA/s1600/Xmas+2013+310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_XBXjRq-9ZobMHSuRfqh7KidsXBPXls3iXg7FTktBUTllGuwO-P51ZODiVm8PMPNL3-8gvn8TRaauXApHr5U8DOuMS_bAOrDusDIq0etsIrnakaV_5LKnVksNlF97yXAqZqS6mrlBXXA/s640/Xmas+2013+310.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A wall that Bill has been carefully remaking, without the white banding</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqyGdwkd9DnNAfuH5vsFFNbq-kU5IPsCV4Byy5APaysSS9JgpSiiscd-G-4UM9WIaAFYhYS36ZZkIoPUWGpv2qx2GwxjZBbeR9JvxrSzioxs7iLFK0JkGH3fB2wSEtha1p2TWAKwd_iV2/s1600/Xmas+2013+307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqyGdwkd9DnNAfuH5vsFFNbq-kU5IPsCV4Byy5APaysSS9JgpSiiscd-G-4UM9WIaAFYhYS36ZZkIoPUWGpv2qx2GwxjZBbeR9JvxrSzioxs7iLFK0JkGH3fB2wSEtha1p2TWAKwd_iV2/s640/Xmas+2013+307.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A dilapidating dairy cooler, partly in-ground, likely one of the last of its kind in Ontario</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqOq4i8QCr6YBQHG6zQYXZLmLGZ5kBiZTpeU0rumtmfk6NC6ma3NbGbuymCEpafxAGabOBWvHn-2NFiMg5xf31SJWiYAiQEhdlgqYqXRsnB-CCnacZkPs3v3MqOPFqTU2LLkxJoDhPTbS/s1600/Xmas+2013+308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqOq4i8QCr6YBQHG6zQYXZLmLGZ5kBiZTpeU0rumtmfk6NC6ma3NbGbuymCEpafxAGabOBWvHn-2NFiMg5xf31SJWiYAiQEhdlgqYqXRsnB-CCnacZkPs3v3MqOPFqTU2LLkxJoDhPTbS/s640/Xmas+2013+308.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A blacksmith's shop, soon to be restored and recycled as a working farm building</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My exposure to these 19th century stone buildings has led me to wonder if there's a heritage inventory of all that remain, and whether there are tools in place to help stabilize and repair them authentically. I didn't get to that point in conversation with Bill Shivas, but I intend to canvass the topic down the line. These artifacts deserve preservation, as they enrich our access to our history immeasurably. They also embody skills no longer common, and aesthetic senses that should inspire us towards effects today. There should be an agency of some kind that helps keep the skills needed to maintain these buildings alive and vibrant.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pinks and blues, rusty browns, buffs</b><b>, many more</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For information on Ontario's fieldstone buildings and the geology underpinning stone resources, Gerard Middleton's article is an excellent source: </span><span style="font-size: large;">http://raisethehammer.org/article/1491/use_of_fieldstone_in_southern_ontario_buildings</span><br />
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<br />David Cubberleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17743956859172204514noreply@blogger.com0