Landscaping With Rocks

Christian, Bill & Leif excavated the clay and boulders out from under his 1780 farmhouse, piling all behind the house. The rocks were used for a walkway, dry stack sittable garden wall and front step while hiring stone workers help on a weekend.

Front step stone was brought up from the creek bed & rolled on 2 pieces of PVC pipe into place.

The top/end wall stone, was the largest hoisted out from under the house.

Piles of rocks & clay were dug from under the house (to create space for his new HVAC systen) and lifted out between original tree trunk joists. They were used in a rock garden and low wall.

The Stony Brook runs through Christian's meadows and woods while it first runs along Leif's border. Both have plenty of rocks to landscape with.

Stones around Leif's shed foundation.

Leif is collecting rocks to put in front of the house foundation since 77 trees are now down.

Picket Gates

A beautiful "picket" gate! Photo via pinterest; Ollie Tomlinson.

A picket gate I designed for between our privet hedges thirty yrs. ago, recently repainted...

Alex & Leif on our picket gate when newly built from pressure treated 2" & 4" wood, by Bill.

I have also used Benjamin Moore's "Woodluxe" solid stain in "Peach Yogurt" on 2 similar cedar (1 1/4" ripped boards) trellises Bill built, going on the sides of Leif's shed.

Most every Mother's Day I was able to pick a small project for our family home & my side exterior tall trellises were one of the first. This year we will hang repurposed trellises for Leif on Mother's Day. 

Below is the first pair of trellises I designed, with notched & flush joints.

"New Dawn" climbing rose which is enormous now and bloomed four times last summer.

Buying A New Mattress

I reviewed many surrounding mattress stores nearby and picked a "Raymour & Flanigan Outlet" (hundreds of options) where we selected a hand made in USA "Aireloom Celestial Sea Plush Queen Mattress", 5" boxspring and matching pillows - all last year's models, half price & free delivery!. Love it.

I have handmade custom linen & cotton lined roman curtains and split box-pleated bed skirt for this room, which matches the mattress in quality.

The SycamoreTree

Leif's painting & my ink drawing of the enormous sycamore tree that grows on his street. So lovely to see it leafing out again!

Christian and dog Anders next to Leif's 5 trunk sycamore in the Stony Brook.

The sycamore bench in Christian's mudroom was made from a Hopewell tree and woodworker.

An enormous sycamore tree's branch creates an arch, entering Christian's drive.

Christian used a live edge sycamore branch on his refurbished vintage Weber grill.

Installing Garden Sculptures

Bill has installed many of his tree like sculptures at the Takaezu Studio now, all together.

He has also poured ridged foam bases for two most colorful Caryatid sculptures while attaching them to wooden bases.

Upside down to paint the wooden base which will get covered with surrounding mulch.

Nick Cave At Princeton University Art Museum

 Night & day photos. The entry mosaic mural messages are: "Welcome", "Enjoy yourself", "Have courage", "The King sees all", and "Hope to see you again".

This week, Nick Cave, the grandiose Chicago visual artist; sculptor, painter, and performer, spoke at Princeton University about his recent large scale  installation for it's new art museum - demonstrating his recent penchant and color theories further explored in a sublime scale exterior mural on a purely asthetic and natural new srtructure. He explained the layered process, materials, challenges, inspiration and messages he gives visitors greeted by "Let me kindly introduce myself. They call me MC Prince Brighton" upon arrival. 

Elements: bases are wooden; made from large Elm and other compromised trees removed here, ceramic tiles of epic amounts and poured symbolic metal icons. Bravo, bravo Nick Cave. Below: "Soundsuit, 2013" owned by PUAM, & Nick Cave's Sound Suits & performances (click here) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpNcmh3rxko.

"Soundsuit, 2013" is mixed media of crochet blanket, doilies, sequins, & mannequin; one of over a hundred made. This "Orientation Gallery" on the second floor is next to glass picture windows revealing the artist's entrance exterior mosaic.

Upon meeting Nick Cave in the museum Grand Hall, he immediately told Bill he liked his jacket (he wore reunion jacket PU Class '75). What an endorsement from the King of costuming.

New Track Lighting

Leif's Deck house has all wooden ceilings, so updating the lighting has been on the surface of beams or ceiling boards with track lighting mostly. He is now adding dimmers.

Spots in his kitchen & studio, Old Farm's kitchen and Christian's library...

Leif's newest track heads are color adjustable as well as dimmable.