Three Rocks a Day

Posted by on Oct 22, 2013 in fall, Unmowed Blog | 2 comments

I’m going to build rock wall. That’s what I decided, three years ago. A long rock wall along the foundation of the house and another alongside our beat-up old garage. It will look scenic, rustic, picturesque. Classic New England, Robert Frost and all that. I love rock walls, and they’re easy to build, right? After all, how hard can it be to pile one rock on top of another?

I started out one bright fall day with a pile of flat stones and a lot of enthusiasm. After ten minutes, things were still going pretty well. After twenty minutes I’d dropped a rock on my finger and my enthusiasm was diminishing. After thirty minutes I was on the porch with an iced tea, nursing my sore finger and strained back, and giving up on rock walls.

But still. I really wanted a rock wall, especially by the garage to strengthen the old and rickety foundation. Back to work, but more slowly this time. Building a rock wall is something you just can’t rush. I decided I could handle three rocks a day.

Three rocks a day. Every day, almost. Some days I stack three big bruisers. Other days, I add three pebbles. It’s okay, even the little rocks help to stabilize the big ones. Some days or even weeks I skip it, but then I get back to it, three rocks a day.

My staff inspects often to ensure good quality control.rock wall 018rock wall 019

Three years later, my rock wall is an average of two feet in height, and totals 47 feet in length. Three rocks a day. I’m thinking of going to four rocks a day, but I don’t want to get carried away.rock wall 013

2 Comments

  1. Great pictures of your staff!

  2. Awesome!

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