amazing how less work a person can do after a few years lay off.

 

From 2000 to 2007 I would put up the rebar and pour about 10 foot of walls each day mixing my own stuff. Our land sloped way too much from the house to the lake to be of any value so I set in to build terraces and since I got all kinds of learning building the go-cart track and the mini golf I thought well it will be something to do in my spare ..........

 

No plans on paper ever. It had slope for the rivers already and the walks would drain good so get started.

  The taller blob with the door houses the sand filter and pumps and pipes for the lake water.

 The area in this picture was to be wife's garden.  After I got the wall up, I ordered some good top soil and they delivered the crud from the bottom of the creek going through town and it was all clay and onion weeds and probably lots of poison from peoples lawns and things. 16 years later and onion weeds are still the only things that will grow in there.

It wouldn't grow anything we planted for the four years we tried and finally give up. Me and the owner of the dirt company had a good talk but I couldn't speak spanish so I guess he won that argument........ This was exactly the reason I and my wife and kids were the only ones doing the building at our last place.

  I just now noticed the lake in this picture. And I sold my boat about two months before the lake came back up..

Close up, of the finish, is not as good as it should have been but I couldn't lean over on the rocks and smooth anything. I had to take out two more trees to get the trailer and mixer close enough but hey, I put them there.

  I had to go to bed early when finished and I missed the snake drama. 

The only thing special that helped this project was this smart laser I had bought to build the track and golf course.

     I colored all the cement after I had shaped everything to suit. The way I did it was sprinkle the granules of stain or dye on the rocks before it set up then waited a few.... then use my hands to rub the stain in. I used a jar and punched holes in the lid for the stain. This last walk way will be natural color for as it was setting up I was trying to throw up in bed......The doctor had just last week given me a few more months so hey I was using some of it for concrete. 

Wow you can see my martin houses in this picture. Trees have covered all that up now.

The lake is almost dry in this picture.

I was just fixin to add, this concrete work has kept me out of the bars, but no I won't say that.  When we were in Germany I made a bold statement,,,,, If I ever get home out of the army I will never set foot in another bar or honky tonk or any other name associated with this kind of life, ever.. Sure I still drink beer but at home and one case will last a year or more. I'm not exactly religious or any other problems except that kind of life stinks.

  I guess this post should have went to the retired blog I started but hey, my memorizer needs a new starternoid.

It's really awesome, Jess. Well done!

excellent...

I need a nap now....

Wow, I broke out in a sweat looking at the pictures.  Well done.

Hey guys I learned from my wood working, if you don't ever cut a piece of straight wood to work with you can always join into a curve anywhere and no one will ever know if you done good or not. I also learned as long as I left some rebar sticking out for the next day to joint another piece to the next day the concrete will bond together from one day to the next and it will never show. A few days between pours does present a problem though.

Sweet looking environment!

 

Looks like the cat was fooled by the herons.

I didn't see the little moon over that big round hole!  

 

When you said snake and i saw that stone wall i thought you were building a serpent mound of your own.  (already forgot about the other snake)

That's great Jess.  Do you ever sit long enough to enjoy it?

Patch, you should charge admission just for folks to look at what you've created! It's beyond spectacular (as long as you keep those serpents out of there)! 

Very nice Jess,

Cal

Nice job Jess! 

 

Yesterday, I did fix my entrée de garage/ driveway but your project is far more stunning. I couldn't post pictures of it on this forum though, too stiff looking driveway.

i'd put fish in it!!! lol