The Rock...

Well, well, well....here I am again - on the blog. I had to blow off the dust and clear out the cobwebs, but it's still standing. And after 2009, so am I (barely...) That being said, I have lots to catch you up with here on Lathwell. After living here for two and a half years, we finally dismantled and rebuilt the fountain (that never really was) in our backyard.

To share some background, our suburban backyard came with what appeared to be a defunct fountain in the middle of the backyard. It really is the centerpiece of the yard and can be seen from all the large windows both upstairs and down. I've looked at this ugly monstrosity since we moved in and have really wanted to replace it with something colorful and pretty since we first set eyes on this place. So, for over two years, I have been looking for the perfect ceramic pot to make a bubbling fountain in the middle of the yard. And then.....

....my husband got involved. To be fair, I needed him for this project. He is the handiest person I know - and I know lots of handy people! And, considering he lives here, I gave him some obligatory input on my bubbling fountain project. He wasn't big on the pot idea and really wanted a large natural rock instead. I protested for a few months and then relented to "just go look" at the big rocks. Of course, we came across the most beautiful rock that we could both agree on - and negotiated on the price to make it somewhat reasonable (although not as affordable as my bubbling pot). And then the real project began.

After more arguing, or rather, discussion, about the project, my schmoopy added another element, insisting that our dog really needs a swimming pool (he kind of does...) and that there should be a pond for the fountain to trickle into instead of my preferred rock garden. So....in the end, I lost every argument and ended up with a beautiful fountain and pond in my backyard. I keep joking that all I wanted was a bubbling fountain, but really, this is pretty amazing. The birds love it, the dog loves it and we love it...what could be better? Okay, it's official - and I'm putting it in print - he was right....I was wrong.

While we typically work together in matters of home improvement, almost everything on this project was done by my husband Dennis. I did unload a ton (really, a TON) of rock from the truck and his friend Zach helped for a couple days, but other than that, it was two months of evenings and weekends for my hard working husband....thanks honey! Here's the photographic evidence:

The "before" picture. As it turns out, water and power had been run to this fountain, but never connected. This thing was never a working fountain.

During demolition. It was a combination of an air hammer, sledgehammer and a strong back (not mine, of course)

The area is prepped, underlayment down, bricks set, level and ready for the rock delivery.

The rock is set. 900 pounds...four men...and me with a camera. Note that we only dug out the area for the rock initially to make it easier to place. The pond was dug after the rock was placed.

And....completion! For some reason, I didn't get any pictures of the rock stacking. I think I was hostile for the entire month that was happening as a new load of rock was coming home in Dennis' truck every other day. I believe I murmured something about bubbling pots under my breath and in my sleep around this time. But obviously, it ended up a success - thank god the dog likes it as much as we do. Now....bring on the plants!