Walkway with bark mulch

Fortunately, we have lots of pine bark mulch from downed trees. A nice finishing touch - and weed preventer! No more mowing in this area - hurray!

Completed Symbol Walkway

View from Slab #8

View from Slab #1

Yesterday we moved huge mounds of the excavated soil in 95 degree heat, and I overdid it. I keep thinking I'm 30. Must conserve energy. I'll try to remember that. We are very happy with our walkway. The cats and dogs love it, as do butterflies!

Now we are planning the next walkway which will connect to the symbol walk way. It will likely be colored concrete with washed pea gravel added on top, relatively simple, except for the excavating. We will wait until late September or October to start it.

I Ching Slab #8

This 36" block contains two hexagrams, Augmenting/Increasing and Great Power. You may notice, as I did when I was cleaning the tiles, that I forgot to put in 5 small blue squares. Oh well . . . Charlie said it's my creative genius expressing itself. I like that.

Papercrete Block Sculpture Base

Here is the dried sculpture base. I was doubting that it would ever dry hard, but after a week, it surely did. So it's lightweight, hard, and fairly attractive. Who could ask for more?

Recipe: 6-8 parts ground wet paper pulp, 2 parts Portland Cement, 2 parts sand.

Infinity - Slab #7

We are here forever, in some form of being.
Slab is 36"x62".

New Figure on Papercrete Block Base

This is the new figure, the legs and torso are a natural tree branch; arms are a thick wire; all covered with wire mesh. I made a wooden form, filled it with wet papercrete, then set the legs of the sculpture. Now I won't have to deal with mounting it on a stand later! Yes, that's smart of me. Thank you.

I screwed a long screw into the top of the wood branch for a sturdy neck and the startings of a head. I'll build up the head with mesh next and then start applying the papercrete over the wire mesh.

This is exciting. I love the process.

Mosaic Slab #6

The Zia Sun and Triskele, both ancient symbols. The Triskele doesn't match my original layout because the concrete was setting up too fast and I had to scramble to get the tile pieces in place. Next time I am putting down a 1/2" layer of sand/portland cement mix as my top dressing on the concrete mix. Then I will have an easier time laying the mosaic pieces. The gravel in the mosaic mix makes it really difficult to quickly position the mosaic pieces.

Triskele and Zia Sun Mosaic for Slab #6

Triskele - an ancient symbol.

Zia Pueblo Sun symbol.

These will go side by side on slab #6 in our mosaic symbol walkway. I lay the tiles out on boards so I can quickly transfer them to the wet concrete.

The Walk

At last, they are taking their walk - on Friday or Saturday they'll go to the County Fair for judging.

Spiral - 36" Slab #5

An ancient symbol worldwide.