Summer Project

[Rowski]

This is part of what I was working on this summer. The roof seen in the back ground is for our 5K gallon resevoir. The little pool in front of the stone wall is from the overflow of the resevoir. This runs into the stone lined brook to feed our larger pond. On the picture showing the pool only the resevoir would be to the right. On the same picture if you look up to the left hand corner, by the Birch trees, you can see some of the rock lined brook.

The resevoir was dug by an excavator and the concrete work was done by professionals. The roof made by a carpenter. The pool was dug by me. Lined with large feild stone (using backhoe) and sealed with bentonite (on the dam side only). The stone wall was layed by hand. The grass was seeded in mid August. The dog in the back ground is an Airedale.

Derek

 

[Bird]

Very pretty place, Derek. It also looks like it will be a lot of work to mow and trim, won't it?

Bird

 

[Thomas]

Looks fantastic Derek.
How did you cope with the mosquito's and black flies during this project. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I hope your zoning laws weren't ridiculous on such a project as they are over here in NH. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Geeze such work as that over here in NH the tax man would be /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gifing. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Thomas]

Bird,
Latley in the upper part of New Engalnd we have 5 months of winter,and 3 months of mud season.
Now that gives 12 weekends to do yard work plus outside projects,but 5 weekends it rains during the summer time and if one trims and mowes every other weekend...well 5 or 6 times of lawn care is needed.

There one weekend that the mosquito's and there cousin the black flies are so bad one has to hide. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

The secret for me is to cut the grass darn short everytime. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Rowski]

Bird,

Thanks. This area will be mowed 2 or 3 times a year with a brush hog. There will be a path way, for walking, the width of the mower on the garden tractor (JD 318 with 50" deck) and trimed a few times too. Also I don't mind mowing or trimming, at least not yet!

It pretty intersting I buy a tractor to get some work done and end up making more work for myself in the long run /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.

Derek

 

[Rowski]

Thomas,

Thanks.

The trick with the bugs is to wear your seat belt and tie feild stones to your ankles so they can't take you away /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. Just lots & lots of bug spray. We had more trouble with the little invisible bug (gnats sp?) but the black flies were bad too.

As for zoning SHHH..... I don't think thay can say much. The resevoir replaced a smaller one. The brook was already there and was causing more problems with erosion. So basically I am just stabilizing it.

As for the taxman, well we need to wait and see. Personally I think what you do for your personal veiwing pleasure is you own business. Now if I were to charge people, that is a different stroy. If the taxes do go up I'll just work a little harder and longer. I will not stop doing things like this if my taxes go up. When you go for walk, watch the sun set, and enjoy looking at the beautiful land that you landscaped... to me its PRICE LESS!

Derek

 

[Roy]

Very impressive and professional work. With the grade, I hope you have a tiltmeter /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

 

[Rowski]

Thanks roy. I'm not a professional yet, give another ten years.

I don't have a tiltmeter yet. Plan on getting two this winter. The inital grdae was done by the excavator after the resevoir was put in. Basically the only grading done by me was around the dam and stone retaining wall. The steep stuff was raked out by hand.

Derek

 

[Roy]

Don't think it will take 10 years, you already out do most of professionals whose work I have seen. Raked by hand... that is a labor of love!

 

[gordon]

Great work Derek!!! Now let me tell you my problem. I showed the wife your beautiful work and guess what---mistake. Guess what she wants around our pond in the front yard? Only problem is that I don't have a nice supply of stone like you guys up north. Oh well another project on the list.
Gordon

 

[Rowski]

Gordon,

Thanks. You might want to tell your wife that she may not see you much. She could also talk to my wife about it. I work 6 days a week as a tech. All this work was done(just about every day) in the late afternoons till dark and just about every Sunday. There is more to this project, I'll post some more pics. The prize of looking at it just about every other day is awesome. I'm also really LUCKY to have an understanding wife that doesn't mind.

As for the rocks... You pick'en you can hav'en!

How much would a load of field stone go for in the Cities. Say a one ton dump comfortable loaded?

Derek

 

[Harv]

Derek -

Beautiful work, and nice photos!

And I can relate to that tractor irony you mentioned. I bought my tractor 'cuz maintaining the property by hand was plumb wearing me out. Now that I have the 'Bota I've spent more hours on more days than ever before, and I'm even more tired and more sore than any time previous.

The big difference is that I've accomplished 10 times the work and go to bed with a smile on my face. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Rowski]

Roy,

The labor of love. Fortunately I got that from my father. Its that German blood.

Derek

 

[Rowski]

Thanks Harv.

Like you, and most of the other posters, I've got that /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif too.

Derek