Saturday Project: Shaun's Brithday Stream

Mills Landscaping Service Project for Mom!

 I wish we would have taken a picture of the spot before Connor and I had completed the work below.  It was covered with rocks, infected with spiders and countless numbers of very happy snails and potato bugs. The messiest part was the tremendous forest of 3-4 ft suckers growing from the spider web of superficail roots.  We had cut them back numerious times, but without fail they would quickly grow back.  For the past year, it was live and let let in  that area until I had had enough! Poor Connor was home when I reached my limit and together we conquered the jungle with Connor's favorite music playing loudly while we worked.  Below is the the 1st day's outcome.

It is great to have so many hard workers here at home this summer.  

Connor and I moved out all the rock, cut down all the suckers from underneath these to trees and put down a border of rocks with our vision of a dry creek bed in mind.  When I priced out the rocks we would need,the price was beyond ridiculous! I finally found someone selling rocks on Craig's List for $50 a truck load. We  rounded up the crew and  went rock hauling together.  They look happy now! But after a morning in the heat, moving rocks, their smiles had faded, but the good will was still there.

 We learned a lot about everyone's unique personalities. Riley went to great pains to find the smoothest, most symmetrical and well rounded rocks.  You can see him here surveying this immense pile in search of a worthy rock. 

Shaun followed with the bucket not sure where to begin, the rock pile was so huge.  Within a few minutes Shaun had a bucket full of rocks dumped into the back of the van while Riley had one or two beautiful rock in hand. 

Connor always filled his bucket too full and then grunted and groaned as he lugged his over sized bucket of rocks to the van; sometimes Riley would help.

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Jenna was the first one to call it quits and wait in the Van with the flies until Keith and I blew the whistle for the rest of the crew.

When we made it home everyone worked to unload the Van with it's sinking suspension in great need of relief.  Sadly our van rear suspension is considerallby compromised after all that weight.   As you can see we still have some empty spots, but things are coming together.

TBelieve it or not, today was Shaun's Birthday and we chose this family project just for him.  Shaun loves landscaping and hard work like this. In honor of Shaun's willingness to work we have named this "Shaun's Stream." Happy Birthday Shaun! h

This past week, Keith and I repeated the process on a smaller scale to do the same to our front mound.  We have kept the dry stream bead theme, but again we are out of rocks.  One or two more trips with the entire crew should do it.