oh that yardwork ...

Ok, so the last post to my blog was over 3 weeks ago & it was about starting on the relandscaping on July 25. I'm only 6 weeks behind in my reporting. :) So, I'm going to the Reader's Digest version to get this story told.

I spent the next three weekends (Saturday & some Friday evening time) getting what was in the old bed in front of the main section of my courtyard wall pulled out, along with all the sod for the area that I was enlarging the bed (between the new curved walkway and the wall). I replanted all of that sod in bare spots in other areas of the yard. I also planted 4 more rose bushes - 3 carpet roses and one that will grow taller along with potting 2 tree rose bushes. The tree roses will have to be brought inside (or at least into the garage) for the winter. What is left to be done in the bed is put down some additional top soil & then cover it with the landscaping cloth and put down the large river rock to match the bed discussed in the previous post. Anyone want to help shovel river rock??? (Hey, you can't blame me for asking. It has a similar effect to lifting weights at the gym - and it's free! I'll even feed you afterwards. :)

The reason the river rock isn't already down is because of needing to paint the courtyard wall. So, the next Saturday (we're up to Aug 22) was spent digging the rock, mulch & dirt AWAY from the wall, so that I could paint down below the "ground" line. Oh, that was soooo much fun. The plan was to then wash down the wall & paint the following weekend (that would have been Aug 29).

Problem 1: When I got to the "wash down the wall" part, I realized that the capstones weren't simply going to "wash down." I couldn't determine what was on them - not mold or mildew - but it wasn't washing off. Recommendation was to use a pressure washer. So ... the next Saturday (Aug 29) instead of painting, I went and borrowed a pressure washer. (That was a God-send. I had planned to rent one & "just happened" to talk with someone at a social I attended Friday evening who had one & offered it. God bless Tim!) The walls got pressure washed, but ...

Problem 2: The pressure washer did not "touch" whatever was on them. Nor did it remove the residue from where we had pulled the ivy off the wall between myself & my neighbor to the south. So, I climbed up a taller ladder to get a better look at the capstones. LONGER STORY made short - it wasn't something "on" them. It was the decomposition of the limestone. Ever been in a cave? That's what was happening on the unsealed limestone capstones. So, I was now hunting some sort of sealer/primer that would seal the "holes" in the capstones.

Problem 3: During all the "extra" time, we had a period where it rained for three days. So the new bed (the one that doesn't have the river rock yet) had 3"-4" of standing water. Needless to say, it washed all the dirt back against the wall. Which was also true in all the other beds. So all the work to move it away from the wall & wash the wall had to be repeated.

But, I'm keeping my optimism. I'm thinking that surely over this "long" weekend, I'll get this wall painted. Right?

Wrong!

Problem 4: In the meantime, I have realized that where the capstones were supposed to have been resealed both to the top of the wall & to each other BEFORE I closed on the house, the job had not been a very good one. They were sealed to the wall (though not evenly and definitely not properly), but the seal to the mortar between then was already cracking. So, they needed caulking all the way around & at every joint. [Note: That's not what should have been done, but given the fact that there still sealed enough they could not be removed and resealed properly, it was the only option.] Also, when they repaired these before closing, they failed to repair the smaller section I share with my neighbor to the south. So that section of wall needed to be repaired. Since all of her wall needed repair, she agreed to take care of that section with the rest of hers & I agreed to paint it. [However, that is one reason that the entire project has been so delayed. She has been "going" to do that all summer. She finally committed to getting it done this weekend.]

I spent Saturday re-caulking & scrubbing off the residue from the ivy. I had actually started that task previously, but had only gotten about 1/4 of it that night. It required a steel brush, water, and LOTS of "elbow grease."

I then spent 4.5 hours Sunday afternoon & evening painting the very thick primer on the capstones of the two larger sections of wall.

But, I'm still full of optimism that I can get the painting all done today. Well - the painting of the two sections of wall. The section I share with the neighbor to the south was repaired on Saturday & Sunday and it needs to set before painting. So, that pushed it off until next weekend.

Once again, I overestimate my abilities or underestimate the task - I'm not sure which. I spent 8.5 hrs out there today and what I accomplished was putting two coats around the bottom of all three sections (so if it rains again, I don't have to pull the dirt back away from the walls!) and putting one coat on the primed capstones. I did also do the "ends" of the walls where the gates are attached and the other areas that would take a brush & special care. That leaves a 2nd coat for the capstones and then two coats on the main portion of the wall. The main portion of the walls should be the easy part! Just roll it on. Right? (Don't answer that!) Then, of course, the 3rd section still needs to have the capstones primed & painted & the walls painted.

I'm beginning to think that my friend who recently moved back to apartment dwelling when her house sold has the right idea!