2016 Jonas winter storm - Fun on the Farm!

The Wife started a Hi-Vis pics / with equipment on her Meadow Creek Farm FB to keep all her friends smiling during the last few days of the 2016 Jonas winter snow storm. After 3 days of plowing over 24" and being snowed in - yes it's now time to play. It's easy to start to find happiness with the simple things. Ready for summer - Not yet.  I'm just starting to get warmed up to this weather. Thankfully we did not lose electricity all and all it was just snow and lots of it!

Finally on the 4th day we saw our first county equipment cleaning the road. Of Course me and the neighbor with his skid steer did most of our section of road. Sometimes it's best to rely on yourself to do what has to be done. This machine while it cleaned the road did one heck of a mess! So of course I cleaned it up. 

The storm came in hard Friday night. Hitting us till late hours. I spent most of my time plowing to say on top of the snow. I was out with out Side x Side with the plow and snowblower. I did all of our farm then the neighbors. Hit the bed at 3:30 am to get back going around 8:30 am Saturday. Only to get my Side x Side out of the barn then drop out of gear. So spent the next hour pulling and pushing to get it back in the barn. Then it was on to the skid steer with the heated cab, windshield and wiper. Saturday was the hardest day of snow blowing. I was extremely happy I had spent the money to have my windshield repaired and back on the skid steer. I never use it and normally keep it off the machine. But with winter I figured it was time to put it back on. So happy I did!

The skid steer and the single stage MTD 2 stroke snow blower helped keep our farm nice and tidy. We  have a 22 acre horse farm where we care for 10 horses. Being able to get to one place to another is key with Feeding and getting water to four leggers. 

Exhausted horses after 3 days of snow. Now time for a horse naps! Buddy is at the gate and Cheech is getting a drink of water. 

Our neighbors called asking us to come sledding on Sunday. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. The round saucer was the best ride.

Piling snow up some place can always be a challenge. (photo at our barn road side 1 photo up) Last year the installed guard rails. Which make it hard to push the snow over the hill. Now I have to lift it over. 

This was on sunday looking down the road towards our farm. Rockin Walls Training center is right on the right hand side if you see the sign on the tree - to the right you will see the 4ft freestanding wall then all the snow mounds are palleted stones covered over.

The wife having fun Sunday feeding at upper field. 

The walk up the hill to feed 4 of the field care horses. 

Knee height snow.

Happy Teresa in upper horse pasture at feeding time. I can't say what was making her smile so much. 

Looking out the skid steer from Saturday's plow of the road. Look at all the deer tracks. CRAZY!

The wife Teresa taking the hose up the hill to get water in the tub for the upper horses. As she tackles 24" plus snow walking up the hill. FUN!!!

All things break when plowing snow. Thankfully Sunday was the clear and all work had been finished. With a little investigating a simple fix was to remove the 14' chain next to the seat belt. I believe the dash was not able to recognize I was sitting in the machine with the safety switches not registering. Replacing a 5 amp fuse and removing all tools, chains... from the right side of the seat seemed to make everything work like normal. Thank God. I was a bit frustrated after the Side x Side failed Saturday morning. 

K & H Heated cat houses (they make everything you can think of heated for animals)  for our outdoor barn cats. Only the best for all our furry animals! 

Just another day at the farm.

Merry Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas - to all & A Happy New Year. May the Craft of Dry Laid Stone continue to prosper in 2016. Mark @ www.RockinWalls.com

7/2015 Havre De Grace MD, Seating Wall, West Mountain w Colonial Blue Stone

7/2015 Havre De Grace MD, Seating Wall, West Mountain w/ Colonial Blue Stone. A deck has been built inside this wall for an outdoor entertaining space. The wall is 22" off the deck 3 sections of wall - 6', 8' and 13'. Blue stone caps are 3" thick x 22" wide.  A larger on site black granite boulder was placed in the corner of the wall.  Colonial blue stone from Balducci Stoneyard (from their quarry) Great stone to work with. Flush tie stones set into the wall and spaced. Normal 1:6 batter with a protruding foundation except on inside of wall in order to allow for deck to be built.

Design and layout by Bradley Development & Design . Thank you Brad for inviting me on board to be apart of your creation.

I shaped the cap around the boulder to help make it fit in better. Amazing out the boulder just happened to be so close in height as the wall. 

Start

West Mountain Stone Bulk

PA Colonial Blue stone from Balducci Stoneyard @ Maryland Line.

Building the foundation and setting the frames.

Bloch Shear air assisted stone splitter. Helps me snap and square up my bulk stone for nice corners and faces. 

The client had a boulder which he had moved on his property several times over with in the last 20 some years. It was finally time to have it put into the wall. So he hired up a good friend with a wrecker tow truck. 

One large strap to lift it and move it to the new home in the seating wall. I have to say this was a first for me. Extremely exciting to see a boulder of this size made of black granite. Thats one heavy rock. 

With the approval and placement by the client the boulder was set in the corner with a cutout in the side as a seating spot. 

Tie stones being placed. Normally a wall of this size would not need ties. But due to the fact that the new fill dirt I felt it would be best to keep them in the design. They were to be protruded but due to future plans for up lighting they would have cast a shadow.

On the jobsite I love using my dingo to help me move stone around the tight areas. It also really helps me for setting my heaver cap stones without a helper. Before placing each cap I would have to chisel of the saw cut on the stones. Keeping them on the forks of the dingo made for quick work.

As you can see I spent a lot of time in the mud. The hardest part of this jobsite was all the toads and frogs I'd have to move everyday I worked. The loved the mud puddles. 

Many thanks to Brad and the client Bob for allowing me to create your backyard seating wall. I'm sure you'll have years and years of enjoyment. 

Read all about 2015 NOV. Flatwork / Steps Workshop @ Rockin Walls

The first flatwork / steps workshop was a huge hit.  With our news sponsor Balducci Stoneyard @ Maryland line. Supplying Rockin Walls with their own PA Colonial Blue stone.

This workshop was such a hit it will be Coming back 2016. 

The focus of the workshop was based on teaching:

• 2 methods of base

• 2 types of stone Colonial PA Blue stone - 1) Squares and Rectangles 2) Irregular standup

• 3 methods of edging

• How to use - operate and be safe with Equipment and tools such as walk behind plate compactor, gas cut off saw, feather and wedges with a hammer drill, Toro Dingo machine, Block Shear Stone splitter.

• Tricks and tips of basic tools for the job

• Different styles of steps

• Rise, Run, Tread, Fall

• How to draw your own square and rec pattern

• Determining dig depth for excavating

• Sub-base, Geo-Grid, Base, Sand

Many thanks my Sponsors: Swanson Levels, Block Shear stone splitter, Pave Tech hammers, Bon Tools - hammers to name a few.

Squares and recs along with edging going down on a 3/8ths washed stone

Explanation of different types of compactors and how they operate. A walk behind plate compactor being demonstrated.

Squares and recs going down on coarse sand over the compacted crush and run sub-base(CR6)

Plastic edging being installed with the blue stone pattern

Next irregular standup was tried by the participants on each base. Giving them the opportunity to decide for themselves which they like best. 

Sunday we started out trying the Block Shear Stone splitter by put to action. 

Hammer drilling holes in order to feather and wedge this piece of granite to make edges. Great inexpensive method to created caps, steps, tie stones and edging. 

Safety first! when it comes to understanding how each piece of equipment functions. With hands on opportunities participants will feel comfortable renting if needed for their job.

Start of the steps.

The dingo is another one of the simplest machines to use on a job. Helping to move small quantities of material easily through tiny spaces. A machine like this can be found at just about any rental center. 

The participant choose to build the steps as a team. They went with a 6" rise and 14" tread with 1/4 fall. Mixing up different stones and step styles

Happy wallers after two days of learning a new skill set. They now can make or save money with their projects. For a small investment of time and money they can get right to it. 

Invest in a craft today. Take a workshop at Rockin Walls Training Center 2016. The only Sponsored center with: "Try before you buy" tools.

Big Thanks goes out to my internet stone mentors for flat work:

Matt Sevigny,  some disclosed place - USA

Marc Archambault, North Carolina Hammerhead Stoneworks 

Video - 2015 Nov 7-8 flatwork / steps workshop particapents

Had a great birthday weekend teaching the first flatwork / steps workshop using natural stone by any USA training center.   Come join in the fun 2016! 

Hear what some of the participants had to say in this short video.