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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: talesofthesevenseas on May 12, 2010, 11:55:29 AM
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After being put on hold for months during my recovery, we're finally moving forward again with our walkway project, utilizing old historic cobblestones from San Francisco Streets.
If you missed the earlier posts, these cobbles came over as ballast on the ships that arrived during the Gold Rush of 1849. They were then put to use as cobblestones in the streets where they remained until they were removed as streets were paved. Some of these never made it to the streets, but were recently dredged up from the bottom of the bay. Many ships were abandoned in the bay as the crews took off for the gold fields. These ships were burned to the waterline and scuttled, so the ballast sank to the bottom of the bay. You can see barnacles on these stones.
We dug the trench deeper, lined the bed of the walkway with weed prohibiting cloth, added a layer of sand (19 bags!) to seat the cobbles, then topped it off with gravel.
It's not done yet, we still have to finish off the edges and a few other things, but this was a big step forward. At least they are in the ground instead of sitting in the yard! Thought you guys would like to see how it is coming along. More soon!
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/Cobblestones14-1.jpg)
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Looking good , Talesof .
Most of all , though , I'm glad to see/hear that you're feeling up to gettin' down in the ground with this project !
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Thanks RJ2! I've been feeling great actually, and I have gotten a lot stronger in the last couple of weeks. My radiology oncologist (Radiation doctor) was sure surprised to hear that I'd been lugging bags of sand around! I think I'm just all jacked up because I'm done with chemo!
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Glad to hear you are doing well, Tales. I know walkways like that are not easy to do even in the best of health. It looks like the resident felines would like to get out and try the walk out! Nice looking project!
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Tales that is so encouraging to hear! Even though it's hard work, being able to accomplish a not so simple feat must
actually bouy you up. It's also great to see history put to use as it should be.
Here's a shot of Granville St., Halifax (hometown ;)) where what was able to be salvaged from under the old pavement
have now been carefully saved from further deterioration by closing the entire street to vehicle traffic. Where they were
unable to save the old stones, new ones were put in place and make a nice blend of current and historical.
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Meant to add that I love the way the stones appear to 'lead' you towards the door. Very welcoming!
And as wayward pointed out your furry family, I have to admit my eyes went right over their heads (& tails)
to the cage behind them. Another parrot owner? ;)
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Neat that your cobblestones were preserved Sapphire! What a great way to preserve history! It is fun to think about all the carriages and people who have passed over these kind of old cobblestones since they were quarried.
The white and orange cat is Jack, the dark one next to him is actually my purse, LOL!
Yes, we have two parrots, Spanky and my bad boy Cloudy. (He's an aggressive alpha male who thinks it is his duty to kill off everything but the two of us!)
(http://www.archaeologica.org/cloudyandmeTRAN.gif)
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Omg! Both sulphurs?? Beautiful!! ;) I've only just moved beyond the budgie/lovebird level to a Pearly conure. And
what is it about males?? Quinn's two sisters are apparently sweethearts, but he has that darn Jekyll/Hyde personality
.......and Hyde usually wins out! My dream bird has always been a Blue and Gold......likely will stay my 'dream' bird.
Here's a shot of the same buildings .....1871, cobblestones already buried beneath gravel and trolley lines.
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Great job on the walkway Talesof! Glad to hear you are feeling well.
Like the birds! I used to have two when I was young/single. Donated them to a local school when I couldn't be home enough to give them the company/care they needed. Those bird went everywhere. Families had to fill out applications to keep them for the summer with a responsibility contract. They would then have a drawing of the families that qualified. The families that won took them on vacations with them. Over the years those birds have gone all over the US, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, Virgin Isles, etc. Who would have ever known!?!?!?!
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I love old comparison photos like that Sapphire! Way cool to see the changes!
Both birds are cockatoos, but only Cloudy is sulpher crested. He's actually a Triton cockatoo, the ones with the blue eye rings. Spanky is a rose-breasted cockatoo. He's smaller, a little bigger than a pigeon.
KC that is great that your birds had such a neat opportunity with the school! Cloudy is definitely a one-person bird. He can actually be quite dangerous with other people and I have to be really careful of him. They'd have a class full of fingerless kids if I tried that!!
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Very nice work TOT7S.
I just knew you wouldn't be out for long.You can't keep a good person down.
Your historic and recycled walkway is just right for the yards tranquil and peaceful environment.It goes real well with the huge trees and beautiful ivy.Idyllic.
What a great place to chill out and feel gratification for the many projects you've undertaken giving items a new life.
Must be rewarding.Keep up the great work.
Sapphire- thanks for the laugh about your bird's Jekyll/Hyde personality.You had me rolling. ;D
Man do I love the 1932 Fredrick March film version, especially when he's transforming to the dark side under the tree and a black cat above is simultaneously about to pounce on a innocent songbird.Movie making at it's finest IMO.
KC-Those were some very lucky birds.
Really enjoyed reading this thread.Thanks
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it is very good work. she has proven to us' she has the skill & commitment to continue on too bigger thing's. I'am sure we can all find her some projects to keep her busy ;D ;D ;D
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Your right D&b. Don't you think a wishing well made out of those stones with reclaimed shingles would look perfect
nestled in the greenery? ;)
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I agree ! wishing well's were a big fad. about 20 year's ago in the mid atlantic states. stone wood etc.
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It looks like a downspout to the left of the door...maybe a nice rainbarrel sitting on a short pedestal of cobblestone bricks would be green and unique?
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Actually I'm finding that excercise is helping to ease away a lot of the lingering chemo pain, which is now just muscular. I get achy if I sit, I feel great if I keep moving, so these kinds of projects are good. I actually do have a wishing well already, out in the back yard. The object on the left of the photo is actually the edge of a large window frame. I do need to work on the left side of the path, which is a bare dirt area now.
Then again, do you guys see that redwood tree that is getting ready to push my house out of it's way? Maybe you would all like to grab your chain saws and c'mon over for a barbecue and tree chopping!
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It's wonderful that you are saving these little pieces of history tales!
But most importantly, I'm glad you're feeling much better. I hope your lingering pains disappear and you can keep up the great projects!
I didn't know you had birds! Our little Rio is a big enough handful, and the 40-something finches take up a ton of time. But they are great, aren't they? We're going to buy a big shed to turn into a bird room, too many birds in the house. We had a cockatoo, too but she belongs to my cousin now.
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A BBQ sounds great and I do have a chainsaw but I am thousands of miles away so I am opting out. Those two trees are so-o-o-o close it looks to be for professionals instead of a bunch of backyard chainsawers. Maybe the guys from Ax Men need some side work.
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LOL, Yeah, it's definitely a job for a pro. It's actually touching the house! It was a couple of inches away when I bought the house eleven years ago and they told me I had about ten years before it would have to come out. Fortunately it is between the piers of the house, but now it is touching the roof and as much as I hate to do it, it has to go. We waited as long as possible so that we could recoup the cost of the tree removal in the wood. We appear to have a lot of underground burl under the ivy there too, so we'll have to see how we fare.
Love the bird pix!
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Oh man, burl is GOOD! Some woodturner or craftsman is going to love that!
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Yes, the burl is worth more than the tree's wood most of the time. There is actually a full "fairy ring" of burl wood under that ivy, where a large tree burned in a fire about a century or so ago. The burl keeps sprouting up. So I am going to have them look at the possibility of removing some of the burl. We'll have to see what can be done without hurting the house or the remaining trees in the fairy ring, but there looks to be a good amount of burl growing right along side that path under the ivy that can go without threatening either the house or the other trees. There are pros who come out and assess the situation and make an estimate of what they expect to find under there. Should be interesting to watch!
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Tales, Congratulations on feeling better, on your good humor, on your love of life, and that stone walkway is AMAZING!!!
Keep it up, please.
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Here's the latest update on the front walkway project. Still has quite a ways to go but you can see how it is shaping up.
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Nice really Nice ;) Have I mentioned you really Rock ;D
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Wow....the place looks great! Thanks for keeping us up on your many projects. Glad you are faring well after chemo!
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Very Nice... And quite a workout moving and setting all those rocks. Great job!
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We finally had the tree by the door removed. This is how it was up until yesterday:
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/Cobblestones14-1.jpg)
These were taken yesterday. We had to pull out the arbor, garden bench etc, but they got the job done without harming the house! Whew!
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/TreeAfter1.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/TreeAfter2.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/TreeAfter3.jpg)
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/TreeAfter4.jpg)
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That looks great!! I see you are having the same, lovely, overcast (and rainy) spring we are here in the PNW.. >:(
I have to ask - What came first the house or the trees? I cant believe they were sooooooooo close!!